A Grand Adventure
by Abramus5250
Summary: While at a party, Finn mysteriously vanishes and the land of Ooo is thrown into chaos and disarray for six years. What will become of the land and the hero it needs? Witness the rise of a legend in the land of Ooo!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"Who am I?" you may ask yourself. Well, suffice to say I am a chronicler, a reciter of sagas and legends, a reservoir of what once was and what it has and shall become. I am eternal, undying, a force for neither good nor evil, though I may be used as such by those with an agenda of their own. In the simplest of terms, I am the singular quest for knowledge, a craving for the unknown and imagined. "What exactly does that make me?" you may ask: a reasonable question given the circumstances. Suffice to say, you are the audience to the story, the guests of honor in an epic, featuring characters from a world many know nothing about. But enough about me and my purpose: let me ask you a question, hmm?

What makes a hero, well... a hero? Is it his actions, the way he interacts with the people and places around him? Is it his mind, clever and quick or brave and loyal? Is it something hereditary perhaps, passed down through the generations, from fathers to sons and mothers to daughters... or is it something more, something that makes a selfless being- a being who would fight to the last breath, ready to die for those he loves and cares for? The real answer, of course, is yes: that is by all definitions a true hero. "But what of this story you have told us about?" you may ask again. "Is there a true hero in it?" Calm down: a little patience goes a long way, after all.

Yes, this is a story of one such hero: one who would signal the end of an era and the beginning of a new age. But before I can tell you about this great being, this wondrous example of the heroic spirit, I must start long before his time, before he or anyone in almost the world had been born. Indeed, it began long before many of the forests grew and rivers flowed and even some mountains touched the sky, when the hisory of the world took a turn for the worst. Let us take a journey, looking back at how it all began, far into a past shrouded with mystery and intrigue.

The Great Mushroom War changed things: what was once wholesome and good had, in many cases, become twisted and horrifying. Seas covered lands that were formerly wondrous metropolises, and glaciers covered much of what was once the great cultural centers of the human world. Wherever someone went, they were met with nightmarish hallucinations, beings of unheard-of power and horrific parodies of what was once considered normal and natural. Heroes of any shape or size were fleeting at best and even fewer in number. With the supposed near-extinction of the human race, many of the old tales of heroes and empires were forgotten. So much knowledge, the collective wisdom of the human race, had been so reduced that scholars, if they had survived the purges and disasters, would have called it the greatest of crimes against humanity: a loss our our identity. This can be true, save for the excluding extinction of course. All that was left was a crumbling, desolate world and unstoppable chaos everywhere, with little end in sight. After many years of darkness, a few beacons of light began to shine forth from the anarchy and chaos. Leaders of small groups became leaders of larger groups, drawing like-minded peers to their cause for a place to live in relative safety and peace. It fell to the remaining bands of survivors of the Great Mushroom War to rebuild and recreate some semblance of order, creating many kingdoms like the Candy, Fire and Ice Kingdoms.

Centuries would pass as many kingdoms, empires, religions and individual governments either prospered or fell into ruin: in the land now called Ooo, there was no real room for a third option, for the safest of places it was not. Times of peace would be interrupted by war, and then the wars would fade from memory and many would question why such a thing even happened. It was at a time of unnaturally long peace between all the kingdoms of the land that the anniversary of the Mushroom War reached its thousandth year: indeed, a whole millenia had passed since the end of humanity's reign over the world. Then, on that very day, a remarkable thing happened; on a lonely mountain a human infant was found by a dog couple out for a stroll. A human, not seen since time in immemorial: a time so long ago that many of the great-grandparents of Ooo's rulers had not even been born yet. This remarkable baby quickly grew up with the dog's sons, and they became brothers, not in blood, but in spirit, with a friendship forged out of trials and tribulations few could have endured at such a young age. Together they set out on their own, carving a name for themselves as adventurers into the records of time.

The saga of that human, simply called Finn the Human by all, began one fateful day, years after he became a young man and had become an adventurer. Little did he know he would be in for the experience of a lifetime: indeed, several lifetimes if philosophers were to be believed. For you see, you and I were not the only ones watching his progress from beyond the veil of his own reality. Other forces, some benevolent and others not-so-much, were very interested in him. Some were farther away than any Ooo-ian had ever been, and others were closer to him than he realized. He had potential in him, a greatness he had not yet realized: as it was, things would drastically change for him, for everyone he knew, and indeed for all of the land of Ooo and the mysterious lands far across the oceans.

And so, our story begins...


	2. A Frightful Transition

**Chapter One: A Frightful Transition**

**A/N: I do not own Adventure Time, though it is a pleasant fantasy, is it not?**

Finn fiddled with the corner of his hat. Ever since he had woken up that morning, it felt a bit tighter than normal. Maybe he should learn to comb his hair better when he tucked it in: growing it out had been a breeze.

"C'mon, Finn!" Jake said, slapping him on the back of his head with a stretched-out hand. "This is gonna be fun, you just wait and see!" The party at the Candy Kingdom had been put into place as a celebration of good times. With all the evil being slain on such a regular basis, it was simply an excuse for a party, though a great excuse at that. Finn had personally helped gather many of the necessary supplies for it, and there were many who would no doubt thank him for his efforts. Especially many of the other princesses, though they had been warned not to be too anxious around the human. Still, there was the whole issue of Princess Bubblegum inviting him as a "guest of the princess".

"Ow!" Finn yelled, returning the slap when Jake got closer. "I know it will-"

"Then why are you so nervous, huh?" Jake snickered. "Is it because the Princess you're in love with invited you-?"

"I am NOT in love with her!" Finn yelled crossly, his face blushing ever so slightly. "All that lovey-dovey stuff is CREEPY, man!"

"Finn and Princess B sitting in a tree," Jake sang gleefully. "K-I-S-S-I-N-G..."

"Shut up!"

"First comes love, and then comes ma-"

"Hi guys!" Princess Bubblegum called. Finn jumped, then rapidly regained his composure.

"Hi... p-princess!" he stammered, blushing a little.

"Not in love with her, my yellow butt." Jake whispered in Finn's ear. "You're head over heels for her."

"Am NOT!"

"You're not what?" Princess Bubblegum laughed, coming to stand before them both.

"Have fun, you two!" Jake said slyly. He then stretched over to Lady Rainicorn.

Finn fidgeted a little. "So... how've you been doing?"

"Everything's fine, everything's good." Princess Bubblegum said, glancing around the festivities. "Awesome party, huh?"

Finn glanced around. Everyone was dancing and partaking in idle chit-chat, having a good time in general. "Yeah... fun."

"Walk with me, Finn." Princess Bubblegum said, reaching for his hand. He took it, turning pink, and followed as she led her away.

They walked for a little bit.

"Hey..." she said, once they were out of the earshot of all the other party guests. "Finn..."

"Yeah?"

"Well... there's something I've been meaning to tell you..."

Finn swallowed, and then let out a sigh.

"Me too, princess."

"Really?" Princess Bubblegum said. "Then you first."

"No way!" he laughed. "Ladies first, it's the rule."

"Well, if you insist," she scoffed. "Finn, I..."

Suddenly, a screech sounded through the air. Finn whirled around. A huge, gently pulsing eyeball, easily four feet in diameter, now rested by a gurgling fountain. The party guests backed away, nervously eyeing its ominous convulsions. It seemed to be scanning the crowd for someone, its gaze causing several guests to nearly faint away.

"Sorry, Princess, but this'll have to wait!" Finn said, drawing his sword as he ran at it. The eye swirled around and looked straight at Finn, not moving as the human approached with his sword. The only thing that really changed was the color of the iris: from a light green to a deep red. In fact, all round it, the air seemed to shimmer slightly as soon as the color changed.

Princess Bubblegum sighed, sitting down. Her parties did happen to attract all sorts of unwanted attention, like that time Ice King showed up dressed like a penguin. She decided she'd tell Finn later, when he was done defeating the monstrous creature like he always did...

Finn ran at it, sword sparkling in the sunlight. "Evil monster, prepare to meet your doom! YAAAAH-!"

Suddenly, he stumbled. Something was opening up on the ground-!

The ground started crumbling at his feet, giving way to a complete darkness of unimaginable depth-

"Finn!" Princess Bubblegum shouted in a panic, jumping up as the darkness below gave off a sort of whirling motion in the air. Her chair fell backwards with the force of her movement. "Run, it's a wormhole... RUN, FINN! RUN!"

"I'm trying!" he shouted, and then the ground dissolved beneath him, and he let out a scream as he tumbled down-

And caught the side of the rapidly widening hole.

Jake ran over. "Finn, buddy, don't let go- we're coming to help you! Just don't let go!"

"I... can't...!" Finn grunted, knuckles turning white.

All of a sudden, the ground he was holding onto crumbled. He screamed as he tumbled down, away, disappearing into the darkness. His sword, a weapon of truth and justice, disintegrated in the wind. The eyeball, with a sudden screeching noise, flew out of the fountain and into the hole after the human. With a flash of light, it collided with Finn. Both the eyeball and the wormhole promptly disappeared, leaving no trace behind.

"NOOOO!" Jake yelled, falling to his knees. "FINN! FINN, BUDDY, COME BACK!"

The guests started screaming and running in different directions, not knowing what to do or say. Something like this had never happened before, and now Finn the Human was gone. Princess Bubblegum let her face fall onto her hands, and she wept. Finally, face streaked with sugary tears, she lifted her head and called to him... but her calls went unheeded, carrying on the breeze.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

A few months passed from that fateful day. Many searched for Finn, even the Ice King after a while- but in the end, it was all for naught; it seemed he had vanished from the lands of Ooo, and all those underneath and above. Many of the peoples of the land became saddened and lethargic at his disappearance, for he had brought happiness and security to many of their lives.

After being the very last one to give up the search, Jake returned to the tree house and never ventured outside for the longest time, seeing only visitors who needed help. That was only the first year. Then, in the time following the last of the searches, everything started to go real bad- real fast.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On a day filled with thunderstorms and hail, Lord Lemondrop ate a crystal apple and became insane with it's power, as many were prone to do. However, the high acidity of his lemony body caused the apple to dissolve, meaning that it could not be removed. In a completely surprise attack, he overthrew the Ice King with nary an effort, imprisoned him, and started to conquer many smaller kingdoms with the aid of his newly formed crystal armies. He proved to be unstoppable for the longest time, until a treaty granting him more lands appeased him for a while. His lust for power was well known, but for the time being he had agreed to halt his expansionist ways: but in secret, he was enlarging his crystal armies as fast as he could. He knew war would come again, and he knew there could be no victor other than him.

Princess Bubblegum, distraught over Finn's disappearance and Lemondrop's insanity, confined herself to her tower, rarely leaving and responding to all of her duties through representatives. Her subjects rarely ever saw her and many fell into melancholy, thinking their princess no longer cared for the kingdom. This was far from the truth, as she did more than ever to keep her people safe, but the situation at hand made things seem bleak at best.

The third year proved to be just as bad. A group of goblins, upon finding the Lich's well of power, were empowered by the Lich's remnant spirit and became evil marauders, stealing whatever suited their fancy. Nobody dared to stand up to them, lest they be killed. Meanwhile, in the far north, an earthquake unleashed an ancient horde of huge, evil spider-scorpion hybrids that took over the mountainous terrain that were the Fight King's. Anyone going through there was in terrible danger during the day: nighttime was a horror beyond description.

More troubling events soon followed in the fourth year; an evil race of rock giants took over the east, while the now-crowned Lemon King made an alliance with them. They were known to be very temperamental and impatient, meaning one could be speaking with them one minute and be crushed by them the next. Meanwhile, to the south, a torrential storm unlike anything seen in a hundred years rendered a large valley an impassible marsh. Entire species were driven out of the area, causing them to flee to other environments that became strained with all the new biomass. This valley, an important trade market and one of the best areas to collect wildflowers, soon disappeared as less and less merchants were willing to endeavor a treacherous journey across it. Over time, insects, moss and vines dominated the remaining trees, which in turned helped create a shroud of mist that covered the area like a blanket.

Further south, the most important trade route in all of Ooo fell victim to more bad weather. Passing through an ancient forest, the once great road was blocked when a massive storm, the likes of which had not been seen for nearly _two_ centuries, sprouted a series of tornadoes, covering the area with debris. Whole sections of outlying forest were torn asunder from the ground and deposited deep within the interior. The resulting mess meant that the undergrowth remained unchecked, since the groundskeepers fled from the storm and could not return from whence they came. Soon, the route became impenetrable for all, and the resulting recession caused many kingdoms to lose their former glory. Nobody dared venture through that path, for all manner of evil creatures and ferocious beasts soon took up residence amidst the thick debris and undergrowth.

The fifth year was not nearly as bad as the others; Lady Rainicorn moved out of her house and started to live with Jake. Marceline took up residence in the tree houses' attic after her house was infested with termite ghosts and stink beetles, which not even she could tolerate. Meanwhile, the Ice King escaped from Lemon King and fled to the forests near the treehouse, where he took up shelter in an ancient cave. His personality, changed by his imprisonment, became of a gentler, more civilized kind. Princess Bubblegum aged as well, becoming more lady-like in appearance. She remained in the castle, lonely and busy as ever.

The sixth year was a year of more radical changes and events. A volcano was formed in the realm of the Ice Kingdom when a nearby ice mountain collapsed inward, with all remaining the ice on the slopes melting to form a few glacial rivers. Lemon King built a great fortress-style dungeon on the slope with prisoners who had been defeated in his wars. Hundreds died to complete the structure, and many of their remains were simply tossed into the lava of the volcano. After completion, the Lemon King imprisoned all who displeased or defied him within the stony prison. Most were never heard from again, and there were rumors of torturous experiments with crystal powers on the minds of those inside. In the swamps of the west, an army of evil skeletons arose from a five-hundred year slumber, the results of a curse from a long-ago sorcerer king, and started wreaking havoc upon the countryside. They could not be sated in their quest for destruction, so they roamed wide and free.

But events were taking a brighter turn in Ooo. After years of dragging his feet and encouragement from Marceline and a few others, Jake asked Lady Rainicorn to marry him, and she accepted. The marriage and following gala were to be held in a field in the middle of an enormous meadow, as pertaining to an obscure custom among the rainicorns. The ceremony was to take place, not by coincidence, on the very same day that Finn had disappeared six years previously.

Things would change on that day, too: just not in the ways anyone could've ever imagined.


	3. An Enigmatic Mystery

**Chapter Two: An Enigmatic Mystery**

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while: college work and fractured communication with my beta-reader can do that. There also may be a significant time between some updates. I don't own Adventure Time.**

The path of a hero is never easy, nor by through any means achievable by those who always take the least dangerous route. Ignorance of danger is the antithesis of one without the brains to back up the brawn, and heroes immune to such maladies are rare and prized indeed. The channel through which he or she may travel can be... anything, really. Besides, when it comes to the most powerful of beings, matter and the laws of physics are merely tools: tools that can be bent or shaped to their own will.

On the day of Lady Rainicorn and Jake's wedding, a thunderstorm was sitting on the horizon, not an uncommon occurrence given the topography and subsequent climate of the area. In the distance, far beyond the ceremony, a small, humble-looking monument sat atop of a lonely hill. Weeds and flowers grew there, creeping around a great metal platform, a glinting steel circle with copper rings radiating out from the center. Any paint on the structure had long faded or worn away, but the metal beneath looked as shiny as ever. A nearby tablet read, "In the time of greatest peril, a hero shall rise unlike any before and give peace back to a troubled land. Let evil flee before him, and let innocents rejoice in his name, for he shall be the one to defeat the coming darkness."

There was no name under the ancient inscription.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Do you, Lady Rainicorn, take Jake the Dog as your husband?" The Candy minister asked, looking from the bride to the groom.

There was a silence. A light wind rustled over the grass, and the chairs and tables set up for the wedding. Several of the tablecloths fluttered in the breeze slightly, as if they knew of some impending event that would change everyone's thoughts.

"Nion hal su-iss-eo!" she exclaimed. The minister blinked in confusion, along with all of Jake's entourage. The rest of the guests, assuming this probably meant "I do," cheered wildly and started to celebrate. After all, this marked a rare joyous occasion in the bleakest of times. Champagne was opened, cocktail weenies (not alive ones, anyway) were consumed and everyone began to enjoy themselves. Jake and Lady were sitting with each other, but there was more than one important person missing. Jake knew he wouldn't show up, but he had been surprised by the absence of the Candy Kingdom princess.

The guests milled around, partaking the drinks, food and conversation. They ignored the soft, muffled booming of distant thunder: it was far away, and they would likely be long gone before it arrived. They were all talking when suddenly a candy scout burst from the crowd, scrambling onto the stage. His clothes looked tattered and there was the unmistakable shaft of an arrow sticking out of one of his armored shoulder plates. He paused for a second to catch his breath before speaking.

"The skeleton army is coming!" he shouted. The guests all gasped in collective horror, knowing that they wouldn't be able to outrun the horde. They all turned… and saw the massive army approaching in the distance, the marching from the skeletal feet sending a faint but clear tremor through the ground. The sky continued to darken as all hell broke loose. Candy people and assorted guests ran in circles and into each other, screaming and yelling and crying. Several simply sat down and hugged one another, unwilling to be cut down while fleeing the scene. Cinnamon Bun merely rolled over in his seat and began to drink champagne straight from the bottle.

"HEY!" someone shouted, suddenly, pointing across the grassy hills. "LOOK!"

And lo, the monument on the hill was suddenly aflame with golden light. All the party guests stopped their panicking for just a moment, staring in awe. They had never seen anything quite like it: all of Ooo had merely thought the monument to be an inconsequential reminder of a long-forgotten hero who had already come and gone.

The army marched closer still- but all of a sudden, a flash of light stopped them in their tracks. A massive bolt of lightning, easily twenty feet across, struck the platform. The grass and every flower within the radius of the blast immediately evaporated, with everything for another twenty feet scorching into charcoal-fine powder. A blinding light exploded across the army, and they stumbled back, shielding themselves, though they had no eyes.

The blinding light subsided…

A figure stood on the platform, hood casting a shadow over his face. He was tall, easily taller than any of the skeletons assembled before him. He did not move a muscle, save for the imperceptible raising of his head to look at the army. The army of skeletons stared at each other inquiringly: they had never witnessed anything like this before. Then, shrugging, they turned back and charged at the mysterious figure. The roar of their battle cry tore across the hills, sending all the party guests into shivering. They knew only too well the stories of the skeletal demons and their ferocious ways: few had ever survived an all-out assault. The figure, however, calmly drew a strange sword from his back. He raised it above his head for just a moment… and ran at the skeletons, going out to meet them head on. His legs were as a blur, as if they were powered by the lightning that had brought him there.

"Are you crazy? Do you have a death wish or something?" a party guest called, frantically waving his arms. The rest of them joined him, hollering and calling for the figure to stop. He didn't even turn to look at them, so concentrated he was on the task at hand. The skeleton army was a simple one: small wooden shields, battle-axes, swords and spears, with a few still-functioning bows and arrows serving as ranged weapons. They were meant to rob and pillage, not face down a being of incredible power. The hero raised his sword and struck out at the approaching army and everything descended into chaos. The shields they used shattered like glass under the hero's onslaught. The swords were cloven in two, while the handles of the battle-axes were splintered like toothpicks. Spears, thrown or thrust, were bent like so many straws of wheat. Spinning around, the hero dueled, effortlessly swinging his mighty blade, silent as skeleton after skeleton was cloven in twain. Many of the still standing skeletons started to flee, save for their king, a monstrous creature that looked like the robust combination of five skeletons.

"Fight, you cowards!" he shouted, waving his sword in one hand and a large mace in the other as he turned to face the mysterious assailant. Screaming in rage, though he had no vocal chords, the demonic apparition struck at him with his sword. It melted upon contact with the hero's, who had deflected the blow as if he was brushing a hair from his face. The skeleton king, aghast, dropped the melted weapon and swung his mace. It met the hero's sword with a resounding clang, and then both mace and skeleton were thrown backwards from a sudden backlash of energy.

"Enough." The hero whispered, his voice not even out of breath. Aiming the sword skywards, he paused long enough for a bolt of lightning to strike the sword. Unaffected by this, he aimed the now-heated glowing sword at the skeleton horde.

There was a hush in the air.

With a mighty blast of sound and heat, like the pyroclastic flow of a supermassive volcanic eruption, the sword shot forth a beam of pure, crackling electricity. It rushed at the skeleton army, arcing over their bodies, and in an instant they were vaporized by the ensuing explosion. As the dust settled, a smoking crater where they had once stood the only remaining evidence they had even existed. Fallen weapons stuck out of the ground here and there, some buried to the hilt: a true testament of the explosive power of the figure's weapon.

The hero sheathed his sword and turned to look at the now-silent, astonished guests in the distance, standing stock still for what seemed an eternity. With a nod in their direction, he set off towards the south, becoming a smaller and smaller speck in the distance. Soon, another flash of lightning lit up the distant sky, and with that, he disappeared over the last hill.

After a long, breathless silence, the tired wedding guests soon started to go home, the air abuzz with the news of a new hero. Overhead, the rain began to softly fall.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Peppermint Butler, representative of Princess Bubblegum at the wedding, soon arrived at the Candy Kingdom's Castle. He had made due with all haste, to return to the safety of the castle and to bring the news of the wedding's unexpected turn of events.

She was sitting at her desk, mulling over scientific paperwork when he burst through the door. He knew she hated to be interrupted when she was perusing scientific reports, but news of this magnitude simply could not wait for such trivialities.

"Princess Bubblegum, Princess Bubblegum!" he yelled, running up to the desk. "You won't believe what just happened! I- there was a guy, and the wedding, because- lightning, flash- skeletons-"

"Slow down, slow down!" the Princess said, looking up from her things with an odd expression. "Do not strain yourself, Peppermint Butler. Now tell me what happened" Could it possibly have had something to do with Finn…?

"There was the SKELETON ARMY at the wedding, threatening us, and a guy came out of nowhere saved us! A new hero! Finally, someone to replace-"

He saw the Princess' face darken, and his words trailed off. Peppermint Butler was afraid of very few things, even being on friendly terms with Death himself, but the look on the princesses' face was definitely at the top of his 'do-not-want' list. He slowly backed towards the door, his eyes never leaving those of the princess. "Excuse me your majesty, but I seem to have just remembered I must go run some errands… so, um, bye!" He whirled, stumbling out the door and shutting it behind him, his footsteps trailing off quickly.

When Peppermint Butler had left, Bubblegum returned to her notes, but suddenly her heart simply wasn't in it. Her hopes had been dashed again, as they had many times over the past few years. Laying her head into her arms upon the desk, she managed to stifle the first sob, but she couldn't hold back the tears. If only Finn that had returned, she could finally tell him how she truly felt. If only, if only… but it was too late for that; six long, grueling years too late.

So she started to cry, surrounded by her studies: truly and utterly alone.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The hero made his way down south, finally stopping at the ancient trade route. Decaying trees littered the path, and the renewed undergrowth choked out all sunlight. Looking in, it was like staring into a deep, dark hole: nothing was visible beyond the first few feet. The hero pulled a gauntlet out of his small pack. Putting in on his left hand, he flexed his fingers within, getting a good feel of the device. Aiming it at the offending undergrowth, he waited as a high-pitched whine emanated from the gauntlet. With a great flash, an enormous ball of searing hot flames shot forth from the gauntlet, absolutely incinerating all of the trees blocking the path. All smaller foliage was fried, erased as if it never had been. Upon reaching the other side of the route, the ball of flame dissipated, leaving the smell of- strangely- a campfire hanging in the air. With that done, the hero turned back towards the north, and headed towards the enormous swamp.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The vast swamp lay before the mysterious hero, full of gnarled trees and bogs. Marshy grasses grew everywhere, with prickly shrubs growing out of clumps of still-visible dirt. Mists shrouded the swamp, heavy and thick. All in all, not a good place to be. The hero calmly drew his gauntlet again, but this time pressed it against the ground on the remains of an old path. No high pitched whine was heard this time; instead, a deep rumbling that shook the ground. After it stopped, the gauntlet flashed, and the old roads reappeared through the dirt- but the dirt itself dried out, as if torched by an unseen flame. It was now was as hard as concrete and the new paths were wide and clean.

Putting the gauntlet away, the hero turned around to see a group of villagers watching him. He stood in silence, letting the breeze sway his torn, trailing cloak. Over the hill, he heard a shout. Turning up, he saw a group of goblins running towards him. They were evil goblins; the ones who found the Lich's well of power and were transformed. The hero, turning away, simply walked into the swamp and was enveloped by its mist in no time.

The leader of the goblins barked out a command, pointing after him. His gnarled fingers looked like dry tree branches. "Find him! Spread out!" All split off from the group, searching for the disappeared warrior.

Oh, what a mistake that would prove to be.


	4. The Revelation and a Plan

**Chapter Three: The Revelation and a Plan**

**A/N: I AM SO SORRY that this took so long to update. My beta author procrastinated and was busy when trying to send me the beta'd parts and then they lost it. Now this will be the only update for a while, at least until they send more parts.**

Fear can be as great a threat as any actual enemy. The horror of what waits in a dark and unknown corner, perhaps: or the insecurity of one's self when danger is very near and very, very real. Cautiously spreading out, the evil goblins searched the misty bogs for the hero. The muddy water stuck to their legs and the long reeds sliced their skin with its razor-sharp fronds. They ignored the clouds of insects, even as the mosquitoes feasted on their backs. Each goblin had a weapon at the ready, in case they came upon the figure they had come after.

One wandered too close to a large pool of water near the edge of a path. He peered into a pool and saw a different reflection than what he was used to. Looking down in curiosity, he saw the reflection change: it was getting larger. Suddenly, a dark figure exploded from the water, drawing a dagger as the reflection dissipated amidst the turbulent waters. Before the goblin could even start to scream in terror, the dagger entered his black heart, destroying the evil within. As it died, the goblin's final image was that of the dark specter reaching for his shoulder with a predatory smile. In a flash, the figure dragged the still-warm corpse of the goblin into the pool like some monstrous fish. They both disappeared beneath the surface, with only the rough surface and a stream of bubbles indicating they had been there at all.

"Get him!" the leader yelled, knowing his comrade was dead but still willing to try and kill the figure. Exchanging quick looks, the rest of the goblins charged forward and started stabbing at the pool; blood floated to the surface, dying the pool a murky shade of reddish brown. Goblin blood, from the looks of it. They all backed away from the pool as the corpse of their dead comrade floated to the surface. Many puncture marks marred his mottled skin, leaking said blood everywhere.

"Never mind him; stick together!" the leader shouted, his eyes narrowing suspiciously. As the other goblins all took up defensive formations around him, he examined his fallen warrior.

His brow furrowed, both in concern and confusion.

All the goblin's weapons were gone.

"Maybe they sunk." he muttered to himself. Turning to the others, he hissed, "Keep your eyes open: that bastard could be anywhere."

All of a sudden, from the thick swamp mists, a spear whizzed through and drove itself through one of the goblins, who fell soundlessly onto the damp ground. The leader growled- for it was a weapon from the first dead goblin. That was two dead goblins within a minute: so much for the power of the Lich!

One of the other goblins broke rank, stepping forward. "Face us you, coward!" he shouted, brandishing his sword. His heart was clenched with anger and fear, pounding in his shriveled chest.

There was a pause. "Have it your way."

The goblins whirled, but it was too late- the hero plunged down from the sky, wielding a glinting mace and a hatchet.

With a scream, the goblin who had spoken was smashed through the skull with the mace. Without missing a beat, the hero dropped the mace and let loose the hatchet, which flew and sunk into another goblin. He fell backwards into a pool of water, which instantly turned a murky shade of brown. The blade had buried itself within his face, splitting open his skull and leaking brain matter into his exposed throat and the pool of water beneath him.

"Run" The goblin leader yelled, eyes wide and panicked. They were almost at half strength already and this person- no, this _beast_, would likely not stop until they were all dead. His troupe scattered aimlessly, running wildly. Only two fled by his side. As the goblins fled, the hero drew his sword and let his power flow through it. Spying a fleeing goblin, the hero aimed at the pool the goblin was wading through and zapped it. Electricity crackled through the goblin, stopping his heart. He fell over face first, dead: a stream of bubbles came from his submerged mouth as his lungs and stomach emptied their contents for a final time.

Another bolt struck a fleeing goblin, who fell upon his own sword while smoldering like a torch. It skewered him through the heart, sticking out his back like some bizarre growth. The fellow behind him, not looking where he is going, tripped on his companion's feet and also fell upon the sword, joining him in death. The last three goblins, including the leader, headed closer to the edge of the swamp. "We're almost there!" the leader called, waving them on towards the only spot of daylight amongst the gloom. As they passed a final tree, a glowing blade swung out and cleaved through one of the goblin's neck, slitting him in twain from the neck through to his waist: blood erupted like a geyser. The last two goblins, including the leader, fled from the swamp and continued to run towards the Ice Kingdom. The Lemon King's icy fortress loomed over them on its slopes, like some unnatural growth in the side of the mountain.

The hero sheathed his sword and went to work. Picking up the bodies of the dead goblins, he piled them on a distant patch of bogs and set them on fire with his gauntlet. As the smoke billowed from their charred bodies, the essence of the Lich drifted back towards the Ice Kingdom like a seeking cloud: it was in need of a new host, and it knew exactly where to find one.

With that all said and done, the hero climbed up a tree, laid back on a large branch, and went to sleep, as if the previous events had never occurred.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Early the next morning, Jake woke up and decided to get some groceries from a nearby village. The fridge had been on the fritz for a while, so when it was finally fixed, all the perishables had been used up, so they wouldn't spoil.

"Hey, Baby," he whispered to Lady Rainicorn, who was currently laying over the entire bed. "I'm going out, okay? Be right back!"

"Mmmm." She answered, kissing him goodbye and lying back down to sleep.

Jake closed the door softly behind him, and set out for the village. It was a long walk, and he busied himself by making out shapes in the cloud. A fish, a carriage, a two-eyed spider monkey robot...

As he approached the market, he saw something- no, _someone_- up in a tree. Strange: none of the homeless, if there were any, ever slept up in a tree. Inching closer, he saw that it was the mysterious figure from the wedding.

"Hey!" Jake looked around, confused. "Dude! _Not_ supposed to be sleeping up in trees: unless they're tree houses, but that is totally not a tree house! Not cool- are you even listening to me?" The figure hadn't moved. "HEY!"

The figure opened his eyes, gracefully rolling off the branch and landing on the ground, standing up to face Jake. "Jake-! Is… is that really you?" the hero asked in a rather baritone voice, sounding amazed.

"Okay, do I _know_ y-?"

The hero lowered his odd-looking hood, similar in shape to that of a giant eagle's open beak. Golden locks spilled down his face onto his shoulders. A luscious golden beard framed his strong-looking jaw, neatly trimmed in length and well-groomed to boot. His eyes were staring directly into Jake's.

"Jake, its me, Finn!" the hero cried, a smile cracking on his robust face. Jake's eyes grew wide, comically so.

"Finn?" he cried. "It's really you?" His eyes filled with tears. "Finn, Buddy!"

With that, Jake ran up and gave Finn a great big hug, which Finn returned, smiling at the prospect that finally- after all his loneliness, all his searching… he was finally back where he belonged.

In the Ice Kingdom, however, things were not so bright. They never had been, even in the time of the true Ice King, but brightness back there had been from the sun and the king's antics. Here, brightness of any kind was nothing short of a miracle, and since Lord Lemon Drop became the Lemon King, miracles were nearly extinct.

The two goblins that had remained from Finn's attack fled into the king's throne room. Hating, they drew long breathes before glancing around: the crystalline guardians, said to be stronger than any warrior the Candy Kingdom possessed, stood still as statues. They had been instructed to do so and were very good at following orders, which dictated total subservience to their ruler. As the two goblins remembered where they were and laid themselves prostrate before the mighty Lemon King, they heard his cold voice ring out. "Why are you here?" The king paused, a puzzled expression forming on his face. "Were there not ten of you when you left to pillage earlier? Where are your compatriots?"

"The other goblins…" the one speaking swallowed. "They… they are dead, sire. The mysterious figure who destroyed the skeleton army killed them!"

The king looked down in displeasure. "How could a single warrior eliminate eight of my best?" Now and then some foolish person rose up and killed a soldier or two, sometimes even three, but they were usually met with a swift and sudden end.

The other goblin stood up. "He moved like no one I've ever seen, my lord! He was unstoppable! We are doomed I tell you, doo-"

With a flourish, a crystal shard shot out from the Lemon King's arm, piercing the heart of the standing goblin. He fell over onto his back, leaking blood as his ceased to breathe. As the blood pooled beneath him, the crystal slowly sunk further in simply due to the sharpness of its sides. The king looked down on the last goblin and scowled as the crystal dissolved simply through his will alone. "Send word to our rock giant allies: I want this so-called "hero's" head on a platter within days. Now GO!" He brandished his arm, sending another crystal shard into the ceiling of his throne room: it embedded itself so far in, only the very smallest point was still protruding.

Scrambling to his feet after a quick bow, the last goblin fled, knowing one way or another he likely wouldn't survive his endeavor. Meanwhile, the King watched as two crystal soldiers dragged the dead goblin from his throne room, trail of blood following them. "No one shall defy my power," he hissed, grinning as several minute servants came in with sponges to clean up the mess. "I will destroy all who oppose me!"

Unseen by the malicious king, the source of the Lich passed through the window, having combined with the latest dead goblin's essence. It passed into the King, who twitched for a second. The servants paused for the briefest of seconds, but instantly redoubled their efforts at cleaning, for the punishment for laziness was not lenient at all. Internally, the cause for the king's pause was that he was in a state of turmoil and conflict, but his outwards appearance remained the same. The only key sign of something happening, besides his silence, was that his eyes had glazed over, but they soon returned to normal.

"Yes..." he smirked with a toothy grin that seemed ever more malevolent than any he had done before. "Everything is going according to plan. Soon, so very soon, I… shall control _all_." His low chuckle would have sent shivers up the spine of anyone within a hundred yards: the servants attending the room were not immune to its effects either. With all due haste they left, the floor clean from the dead goblin's blood.

The king simply sat back and waited: there was always more to do, and in Ooo, he had much to do indeed.


	5. A Feast to Remember

**Chapter Four: A Feast to Remember**

**A/N: Sorry for such a long wait. My beta-reader never responded fast enough and frankly LOST some of the work they had done. From now on, the dialogue is what I originally wrote for the characters before anyone beta'd. Also, please believe me when I say I wanted to get this out. I will now update this weekly.**

It was not long before news of the opened trade routes spread rapidly throughout Ooo. Within days goods were in demand like they had never been before: candy houses were being built so fast it created a glut in the market. Boom towns sprung up within the decaying remains of once-great trade posts, becoming centers of commerce once more. Coffers overflowed with gold, jewels and other riches, as many sites soon discovered long-forgotten mines through which much mineral wealth could be extracted. All in all, everything was becoming great again, even with the clouds of trouble dotting the horizon.

As such, both a personal decision and as her royal duties demanded of her, Princess Bubblegum gladly gave out invitations to a grand banquet celebrating these good times. As usual, Jake, Lady and others were invited, seeing as how they were her closest friends and subjects. This time, the "mysterious hero" was invited as well, as a friend of Jake's: many wished to see him up close, especially many of the princesses. The true Ice King had also been invited, but since nobody knew where he was, they had an inkling he wouldn't show up. Nobody had seen hide nor beard of him since he had escaped from the Lemon King's dungeon, though there were rumors he was close enough to his old kingdom that he could see it. Then again, those were the rumor, and rumors have a good habit of being exaggerated.

It was in the late afternoon that Lady and Jake were picked up from the tree house in a royal candy carriage: they were important guests, after all. However, unlike previous appearances in the Candy Kingdom's capital, this time they would have an new passenger riding along with them: Finn, still dressed as the "hero", sat across from them, twiddling his thumbs as the carriage moved. Truth be told, carriage rides had always bored him, but now even more so. He had ridden all sorts of strange and wondrous creatures and contraptions, but hoofing it on his own two legs never became tiresome. After he had answered all their questions inside the tree house, Finn hadn't said much of anything for the longest time: understandable, given how long he had been gone and the overwhelming feeling of being an outsider in a land he had called home. "Did you guys tell anyone who I was?" he asked after a while, looking away as another carriage passed by on the opposite side of the road. The dirt kicked up by the wheels left a trail of dust behind the wheeled vehicle, but it did not reach into the carriage itself.

"No dude, we didn't tell a soul," Jake replied, scratching his ears. Lady nodded as best she could in the confined space, what with her long body twisted and curled every which way, but she was still happy to see Finn. "Why don't you want anyone to know it's you, dude?" That was the one question Finn had not answered them, since he could have easily revealed himself to them at the wedding.

"I... have my reasons," replied Finn, hoping Jake wouldn't ask further. When he didn't press more questions, Finn let out a small sigh of relief, unheard by the others. Leaning back, he looked out the window, lost in thought as candy trees passed by. "I wonder how much everything else has changed?" he thought. Jake's lowdown on the abrupt events occuring during his disappearance had left somewhat of a bitter taste in his mouth. Lemon's ascension to power, the storms, the evil encircling everything: he could have stopped it, somehow, in some way. He was sure of it. But with that regret came a feeling of yearning, for both answers and closure. "Did anyone miss me?" For in his heart, he secretly hoped one person in particular missed him, but he dared not speak her name out loud. He knew Jake would only try to comfort him. He did not nee comfort as the carruage rolled over the last bridge separating the grounds of the Candy Castle from those of its hinterlands.

They soon arrived at the Candy Kingdom Castle's front gate, resplendent in all its returning glory. Newly-made banners hung from the outer walls, resplendent in their design. Flags wafted in the slight breeze high over the battlements, giving a feeling of joy not felt in what seemed an eternity for some. Exiting the carriage after passing over the drawbridge and through the gates, the trio found themselves in the presence of none other than Peppermint Butler. "Ah, gentlemen, and lady," greeted Peppermint Butler as the carriage was driven away. "It is with greatest joy that I welcome you to the Candy Kingdom. I will show you to your seats for the banquet. Please, if you would, follow me."

As they walked through the secondary gates, a standard feature of most castles in the area, Finn couldn't help but notice dozens of guards on the castle walls. Expert candy bowmen patrolled with halberdiers and knights, with candy-cane ballistas and even a few rock candy catapaults scattered across the walls. He had never even seen guards before his disappearance, let alone castle-based siege machines, but from the looks of things they had been here for years. Ramparts and barricades existed where he remembered being simply posts and uninterrupted stretches of a wall. New towers had been built in his absence, and from the looks of them many were filled with archers and even more defensive siege machines. "Jake," he whispered. "What's with all the guards and machines? Where were they before I was gone?"

Jake whispered back: "Ever since Lord Lemon Drop became insane and took over a whole bunch of places, we've been on high alert for an attack. Princess Bubblegum created them to protect the kingdom almost a year after you left, just in case. He's never tried anything before, but things are different now." Off in the distance, a group of archers took aim at targets and let loose their candy arrows: bullseye for every single one.

"How so?" asked Finn, wondering what else was going on. Lemon Drop was insane with power, the land was in chaos and people had changed from what he remembered. What else could possibly be different about the place?

"You came back, 'Mister Hero', and now his plans, whatever they were, must be changing. We gotta be on guard at all times," Jake said, bumping him on the shoulder. "It's good to have you back, buddy."

Finn returned the shoulder bump. "It's good to be back, bro." Several onlookers stared at Finn as he walked past. Understandable, as his outfit would seem a bit odd to someone headed to a feast. Decked out in a strange armor from head to toe, with a weird backpack and a hooded cloak that trailed after him like the tail feathers of some magnificent bird: not exactly the thing you would expect from a dinner guest. his height was a dead giveaway as well, with him easily towering over the numerous assembling guests. But then again, Finn knew that taking chances was risky: even from before he disappeared, that experience in the cave with that sadistic cat-like creature had taught him to always plan ahead. Even in the safety of this kingdom, his eyes darted to and fro, spotting exit points, likely locations from where ambushes might occur, and naturally-occuring obstacles.

A pair of large, heavily armored Candy knights opened the great doors for our trio and stood at attention as they passed into the castle. Walking into the main dining hall, Finn, Jake and Lady were lead to the seats closest to the royal chair. All around there were whispers from the already-arrived guests as to the mysterious man walking with Jake and his wife. Some were already waving at him and several of the princesses gathered for the feat were just waiting for a chance to talk wih him, though for some reason Lumpy Space Princess was busy talking on her phone-like device. Near the bottom of the grand staircase, Peppermint Butler cleared his throat, causing the room to go silent: well, except for LSP, until someone poked her hard enough.

"May I present, ruler of the Candy Kingodm and High Councilor of the Candy Scientist Council, Her Royal Highness, Princess Bubblegum," he called, his voice ringing through the hall. The guests milling about the table look up at the top of the stairs as a figure emerged from behind a curtain. The princess, now an incredible figure of beauty, descended the stairs in the most gorgeous dress anyone had ever seen. She looked, especially in Finn's eyes, absolutely stunning. As she sat at the head of the table, the rest of the guests took to their seats as well. The princess raised her glass in a toast, as was the royal custom. Everyone else followed suit, including Finn and Jake: the reddish liquid of punch shone in the light.

"I thank you all for coming," she said. "To better times," she said. "Though the road to such times may be long and winding, let us rejoice at the returning of peace and safety to Ooo." All of the other guests toasted with their glasses as well, all hoping for a brighter future. Soon enough, the royal servants began to bring out platters upon platters of food. None of it alive, of course: cheeses of many kinds, spaghetti, various fruits and vegetables of the earthy kind, numerous meats from the herd animals of the Candy Kingdom's grasslands, breads baked mere minutes before in dozens of ovens. Truly, it was a most bountiful feast.

As everyone settled down to the feast, the princess turned to look at the hero. She had no clue it was Finn, partially because his hood concealed most of his face. That, and how in the land of Ooo would she expect him to have changed so much? She herself had changed, but nothing like the man that sat near her.

"So, hero, tell me about yourself," she said, interested in striking up a conversation. Her attitude had matured a bit more over the years, but her demeanor seemed less restrained, more open than before. Perhaps Finn's disappearance had shown her to open up to others more readily and to not keep to herself all the time. Finn looked in her direction, trying not to sound like he was fawning over her. Which he was, of course: he had always had feelings for her, but he couldn't let her know that just yet. Time apart had only strengthened those feelings, so keeping them surpressed was actually a bit of a challenge for him.

"I, uh, am a hero, I guess. I go around helping those in need," he said, trying not to let too much slip out all at once. By the Cosmic Owl that sounded cheesy: hopefully someone else might jump in befor ehe made a fool of himself. As it was, and with luck, Lady's mother jumped in the conversation.

"Where did you get that peculiar clothing, kind sir?" she asked, politely pointing atFinn's hooded cloak. Princess Bubblegum nodded in agreement: she too was curious. it looked nothing like any form of clothing she had ever heard of, even in the old books in the royal library. Jake and Lady turned to listen as well, as Finn hadn't told them where he got it from either: it seemed keeping secrets was good for some things other than personal safety.

Clearing his throat, Finn went into a short version of how he acquired his style of clothing: the true tale would take possibly hours to recite. "I found this on a manuscript in an ancient library I stumbled upon during an adventure. Having no need to hurry on my way, my exploration lead me to the section in which it was located. It was the style of clothing for many heroes of long ago. The manuscript also said something about 'rivalries between two groups' and something about the sun flaring, but the rest had rotted away." The hood in and of itself was very good at concealing his eyes while leaving his jawline open for all to see: quite unusual, but optimal for keeping most of his face hidden from the eyes of others.

"Very interesting," said Lady's father, taking a sip of his punch. "What's this I hear about a gauntlet? The one that cleared the old forest and refurbished the marshes?"

"That I found at the bottom of an ancient temple's vault, surrounded by gems and rhinestones. The inscription read: "Forged from the blades of a fallen god, this gauntlet shall ensure victory over thine enemies." Finn smiled under his hood. "It has really come in handy several times."

As Lady's parents asked the 'hero' more questions, Bubblegum looked him over. He was tall, taller than her by at least an inch or two, and she was no little princess. His long arms were covered by sleeves and arm guards, but they seemed to be pressed tightly against the cloth: muscular, perhaps? The gloves were somewhat armored but appeared to be rather flexible, as his hands had no trouble gesturing this way and that. The shoulders were broad, as if he had undertaken hard labor or something similar for a long time. His voice was deep, but it had a clear and very smooth quality to it.

"So, what about you, princess?" He suddenly asked. Bubblegum was caught off guard: she hadn't been paying attention. Well, she had been, but not to the conversation.

"Sorry, my mind was somewhere else. Could you please repeat the question?" she asked, trying to recover her train of thought, lest she look like a fool drooling over a guest. The hero nodded, his arms resting on the table.

"Sure. Have you ever had any close friends?"

Bubblegum smiled sadly at the question. "Yes, I have. Or at least I had one truly close friend, years ago." She stopped, pausing to catch her breathe. "We in the land of Ooo had a great hero by the name of Finn. He was a human, perhaps the last of his kind, and was the bravest person we have ever known in a very long time. I considered myself to have been one of his closest friends," she said.

The 'hero' nodded his head. "He sounds like quite a guy." Internally, Finn felt rather flattered: he knew the princess had liked him, but the vibe she was sending off seemed to indicate he had meant much more to her than he had ever hoped, let alone knew.

The princess nodded in reply. "He sure was," she said. To herself, though, she had only one thought. "If only he had known how I truly felt, then I might not feel as guilty."

The hero looked at her, his head tilted as if confused. "If you don't mind me asking, what happened to him?"

A sob almost came out, but Bubblegum suppressed it, trying to keep her composure intact: it wouldn't do good for her image if she were to break down at what was supposed to be a celebration. "At a party here in the Candy Kingdom, he disappeared through a wormhole of some kind: that was six years ago, and nobody has ever found him since. None of us are sure if he's even alive, but it would be nice to see him again. Perhaps it is time for me to realize that will never happen: foolish dreams and all that." Inside, she was beginning to tear up, but she couldn't let them see that. This _was_ supossed to be a happy occasion, after all.

The hero leaned back slightly in his chair, which creaked a bit under his weight. "Princess, there is something I must tell you," he said, his tone rather... _relieved_. "Not every dream is a foolish one, for there are surprises everywhere." Reaching up, the hero slowly pulled back his hood. Golden locks fell past his shoulders, while his eyes stared directly into Bubblegum's. A small smile graced his face as the other guests gasped in amazement: the entire room went silent

"Hello, Princess Bubblegum. It's me, Finn."


	6. The Assault and the Rising Power

**Chapter Five: The Assault and the Rising Power**

Princess Bubblegum's eyes opened wider than she thought they could. "FINN?!" The entire room was silent at her voice and all eyes turned to Finn, even more so than they had been. A resounding crash interrupted the stalled festivities as dust fell from the ceiling in massive quantities. Peppermint Butler ran to the nearest window and looked outside. With a great lunging motion, he shouted: "TAKE COVER!"

The guests dove under the table as an enormous boulder, easily the size of a carriage, crashed through the wall and embedded itself it the floor, mere feet from the cowering guests. More dust fell from the ceiling, making several candy people sneeze. Peppermint Butler stood up on his shaking legs. "The rock giants are attacking!" he shouted, causing screams to carry throughout the room as guests began to panic.

Outside, three enormous giants lumbered towards the castle, knocking over anything in their way. Each was easily as tall as a Candy Guardian Tower, but their low level of intelligence was more than made up for by their sheer strength. As if to demonstrate, one pulled a tree out of the ground as if it were a mere dandelion and hurled it into the Candy Castle's wall, causing it to stick out like some bizarre growth. Finn turned to Jake, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "Get everyone out of here," he said. Jake, nodding, shouted for everyone to follow him out of the room. They converged on the shape-shifting dog, intent on escaping before another boulder could crush them into powder.

As Jake ushered out everyone else, Princess Bubblegum called out. "Finn! I have so many questions!" Finn turns back to her, his face set and grim.

"I will answer them later: now get to safety!" With one last look over her shoulder, the princess fled with the others. The great doors slammed shut behind her and everyone else, leaving Finn alone in the damaged and dusty room. He drew his sword, watching it crackle with power at the prospect of a fight. It only did this when a truly challenging enemy was nearby, and what could be more challenging than three colossal stone titans? "Okay you giant freaks," he shouted, rushing forward through the room. "Taste my blade!" With that, he leaped from the window and soared out into the emptiness of the sky.

Soaring through the air, Finn landed upon the castle battlements with nary an effort, right next to some candy soldiers who were trying to fire crossbow bolts into the head of the closest rocky behemoth. Before Finn could do anything, a massive fist came crashing down on the wall, causing the entire structure to buckle and bend. Candy soldiers flew this way and that from the resulting impact, some from the buckling structure and others from the wind generated from the crashing fist. Finn stood solid, his robes fluttering behind him like tail feathers. Jumping onto said fist before the giant could retract it, Finn proceeded to run up the giant's arm. With a leap, he flew towards the startled rock giant's face, his ferocious bellow likely heard all across the castle.

His arms bulging with strength, he swung his mighty sword and stabbed it straight into the giant's forehead, causing fissures in the rocky creature to burst forth. As the giant reached up to knock him off, a bolt of lightning shot out of the clear blue sky and struck the sword's handle, sending it straight into the blade. The resulting blast knocked the giant to the ground, dead from the sheer amount of power loosed from the sword. Finn rode the falling behemoth's head all the way to the ground, rolling with the impact and springing up near the brow as if nothing had happened.

Glancing up from the corpse's head, Finn saw a dirt-encrusted boulder flying down at him, the arc indicating it came from the farthest giant. With a great slicing motion, he carved through the rock, unhurt as the two halves fell on either side of him. Another one of the giants plodded towards Finn, its jagged arms raised in the air. Finn saw why they were raised: this one was holding a massive tree within his clutches. Instead of fleeing, Finn just stood there and waited for the right moment to act. With a mighty swing, the giant crashed the tree down to the ground, causing dirt and debris to fly everywhere. After the scene had settled the creature looked down, but he saw no tiny figure near him. There was no trace of his comrade's slayer when he lifted the tree trunk, either.

Scratching his head, the giant failed to notice Finn hiding on the other side of the tree amongst the remaining branches. When the giant turned his hand, he saw the human leap out from the foliage and tried to stop him. But it was too late: Finn lunged and sliced off the giant's hand at the wrist. The severed hand, still holding the tree trunk, came crashing down to the ground. Roaring in pain, the giant swiped at Finn and managed to snatch him up in his remaining hand. With an evil look of glee, he popped the surprisingly calm human into his mouth and swallowed him whole.

The giant laughed at the sounds of screaming from the castle walls and prepared to attack the Candy Castle some more. However, the evil giant realized there was a problem: a problem in his belly, to be exact. In an instant he doubled over in agony, groaning and heaving. Leaning back, he wheezed from the pain emanating from inside him. He could only watch in horror as a glowing sword slowly emerged from his midsection like some bizarre growth. It soon started to horizontally slice him, regardless of his hands trying to arrest its movement. With a final scream of agony, the giant was suddenly bisected at the gut by the sword, a great glowing arc following its path through the air.

The upper half of the dead giant landed on the ground behind his still-standing legs, slamming into the ground with tremendous force. Upon the legs and lower midsection stood Finn, holding his sword out in both hands, panting heavily. Leaping off the remains, Finn gracefully landed on the ground as the lower half of the giant falls kneeled over and fell down. Finn, without skipping a beat, turned to face the remaining giant.

Enraged at the deaths of its comrades, the rock giant charges Finn, intent on squashing him. Finn, however, had other things on his mind. Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out his gauntlet and put it on, fiddling with it as if he had all the time in the world. After pressing a button, a beeping sound emanated from it, more than loud enough to be heard from the castle walls. Seconds later, a massive blast of heat emerged from the palm and struck the giant, who stopped in his tracks.

As the giant tried to move forward, it found it couldn't: it's feet were melting into the ground. The giant screamed as it continued to melt until it was a giant pile of semi-liquid rock. Finn turned off his gauntlet and put it back, watching as the rock cooled to form a large mound.

Finn turned and walked back towards the castle, where was he met by the sound of indecipherable cheering. The crowd converged on him, but nobody seemed to want to touch him: whether it was out of respect or awe, he didn't care. After he walked through the front gates, Finn cast one last glance at the destroyed giants and walked up the stairs and into the castle.

The remaining goblin watched all this from a tree and trembled with fear, shaking several leaves to the ground. His master was not going to be pleased by these turn of events. Running off through the woods, he made his towards the Ice Kingdom and prepared himself for the punishment he knew he would receive. The last time a servant of the Lemon King had failed this badly, his body parts had been found strewn all over the battlements of the fortress for the birds to feast upon:it had not been pleasant, both the sight and the smell.

Walking up the steps, Finn meandered his way into a guest bedroom, careful to not knock over anything upon entering said room. With care and precision, he took off his armor and cloak, undoing clasps with practiced ease. After finally removing the last of the leather under-armor and chain mail, he neatly set them next to the room's table. With a grunt, he unstrapped his weapons and rucksack, laying those against the nightstand nearest to the bed. The sword gave off a gentle blue glow, slight enough to see in the dark but dark enough that one might miss it if they were merely glancing around. Stripping his remaining clothes down to an undercoat, Finn lay down on the soft mattress and pulled some of the covers over his tired body. Within minutes he had closed his and his breathing changed: he had peacefully entered a truly untroubled sleep. The fight from merely minutes before that would have kept up so many other heroes was nothing but a memory playing in his own mind. Outside of his door, Princess Bubblegum, Lady Rainicorn and Jake are having a discussion. Well, more of Jake and Lady barricading themselves between Bubblegum and the door, who looked like she was going to smash a hole in the wall to get to Finn "I wish to see him," Bubblegum said, though her tone made it sound like more of an order.

Jake and Lady shook their heads. "He just got done saving the kingdom: he deserves some rest," replied Jake, not falling for Bubblegum's last feint. "I'm sure he'll be more than glad to talk with you tomorrow. For now, let him get some sleep." Bubblegum nodded, barely able to contain the questions she was filled with. Still, even a princess had to listen to reason, and soon enough she calmed herself enough so that Lady and Jake didn't have to bar her path to the door. They were right: all of her curiosity would have to wait until the morning, as would that of anyone else. For her though, the morning could not come soon enough.

The three went to bed, Jake and Lady spending their time on the room next to Finn's. They _were_ guests, after all.

Meanwhile, at the Ice Castle...

The last goblin rushed into the throne room, panting with exhaustion. He knew the power of the Lich would not protect him from the king's wrath, since the Lich was not here to save him from the power of a crystal apple-infused maniac. Kneeling before the throne, he looked up at the king and gave him the news. "My king, the giants have been defeated by the mysterious hero." He waited for the king to speak, every second ticking by a second he knew he would live. When the king did speak, his cruel voice rang throughout the throne room.

"So it would seem," he said with a scowl forming on his face. "One of my spies has informed me of the hero's identity. It is none other than Finn the Human, returned to us after his disappearance years ago. Plans will have to be accelerated and rebellions put on the back-burner. For the time being, all my attention must be on him, for he is the key to my undoing."

"But master, what are we to do?" the goblin asked, hoping to turn the king's mind away from his failure and to the bigger problem of eliminating Finn once and for all. Maybe he could survive this after all. "Who is strong enough to stop the human before he can do something to stop us? He could raise an army, or besiege these very walls!"

He should have kept his mouth shut, for the king flew into one of more terrible rages.

"Do not try to deceive me or interrupt my train of thought you purblind fool!" The king narrowed his eyes, rage filling his voice. "_I_ will decide how the human is to die, as is my royal right and duty. A commoner, no,_ filth_ like you have no say in the matter. You _never_ will have a say in the matter so long as I rule you useless pile of detritus! For your failure, you shall be executed... by ME!" With a lunge, the king flew from his throne towards the goblin. In mid-air, he formed a crystal dagger and raised it with unholy speed. Before the goblin could even begin to hope to deflect it, the evil king plunged it into the goblin's black heart, instantly killing him. As the goblin fell, a bloody red mist poured out of his ears, mouth and eyes. It swirled around the corpse before homing in on the king and with a fluid striking motion, it enveloped him. Washing over his body like a waterfall splashing over a rock, it penetrates into his very being. The king, however, does not struggle: he simply breathes in the fumes and smiles.

Another flash of light emanated from his eyes: his cruel smile became even more malignant. "At last," he said in a voice not entirely his own. "My power has returned and I am whole within a suitable vessel. I shall rule this land, hero or no hero!"

His insane cackle pierced the night


	7. In the Garden

**Chapter Six: In the Garden**

Early in the morning, as the sun was just beginning to rise, Princess Bubblegum awoke and rushed to get dressed. She had so many questions for Finn: they could not wait any longer. Deciding that she only needed a nightgown to travel around the castle, she rushed to Finn's sleeping quarters. The long hallway was guarded only by the dust from yesterday's raid: a few servants would be needed to clean up the mess.

"Finn?" she whispered as she approached his room. Opening his door slowly, she crept inside as silently as she could. His armor and weapons were all on the table, looking polished in the rising sun's rays. Judging from the amount, he had to have at least thirty or forty pounds of armor, yet his agility seemed to indicate it was not cumbersome by any means: perhaps he was indeed stronger than he looked.

A noise made her look away from the arsenal: the bathroom door was slightly ajar, and steam was spilling out of it like it was a sauna. Creeping towards it, she gently opened the door wide enough for her to peer inside. The noise grew louder as she stuck her head in: it sounded like singing. She couldn't believe it: Finn was singing in the shower. He had a beautiful voice, no longer tinged by the small mechanical device Jake had said he had swallowed when he was younger. It was melodious, smooth, and sent chills up her candy spine.

The door suddenly opened wider than Bubblegum had anticipated, showing her the entire bathroom. The candy marble floors shone with perfection, and the shower's curtain was pulled back. Before she could blink, she saw Finn standing with his back turned, rubbing shampoo into his long golden locks. His large back and shoulders seemed to bulge with muscles, making Bubblegum feel rather hot under the collar. Before she could be discovered and attempt to retreat, he turned around, eyes closed, concentrated solely on his singing and shampooing ministrations. Bubblegum slowly looked him up and down: the years had been very good to him. Every myuscle seemed to glint in the light, revealing more and more texture and definition the likes of which Bubblegum had never seen, even in books on muscular structures of countless beings.

As her eyes moved, she focused entirely on one spot for far too long. Apparently, Finn hadn't left his greatest weapon back on the nightstand. Blushing furiously and almost choking on a gasp, she retreated out of the bathroom and out of his room, fleeing to her own chambers. She needed to compose herself when they met, lest she forget the formalities and jump him right there.

Later that day...

Finn and Bubblegum were walking through the palace gardens, from where they could see some of the damage to the castle being repaired. The princess had dutifully hired the most skilled craftsmen and candy masons in the area. As it was, one of the holes in the wall had already been repaired and the debris field from crushed candy stone had been ground up to be used for sealant.

"It is most fortuitous that you came here when you did," Bubblegum said, Finn having already answered many of her questions. "I don't think we could have held off those rock giants for much longer." That was an understatement: half the kingdom would have been rubble before the princess would have escaped. As much as it pained her, the priority of her survival was higher than that of her subjects, a royal trapping she thoroughly did not like: not one bit.

Finn shrugged his shoulders, a nonchalant expression on his face. "It was no problem, princess. It seems I am bound to come to the rescue of Ooo in one way or another, especially to your kingdom."

Wow, he almost made it sound like he was the protector of all of Ooo: bubblegum felt a shiver run up her spine at that notion. "Please, sit," she said, resting upon a bench and patting the space next to her. Finn sat down next to her, wondering what this was all about. Of course, it was nice to see her, after all these years. They looked out over the castle for a while, neither sating a word. Finn's thoughts were a jumbled mess of ideas and confusion: "Should I tell her now? Will she understand?"

"We've missed you Finn," she said suddenly, turning towards him while her voice trembled slightly. Even when sitting he was slightly taller than her, meaning when she looked up at him the sunlight played through his hair enough to make it shine.

"I know: it's just strange what can change in just a few years," Finn replied, hoping she felt the way he did. He had most certainly changed, though some things he felt could never do anything but grow stronger.

Before she got side-tracked on other ideas, Bubblegum almost stuttered out the next question. "Finn, I've b-been meaning to ask: what did you do for the six years you were gone?" Of all the questions he had already answered, this was the one she had been putting off the most. She was worried it might be too painful to recant for the hero.

Leaning back, Finn grinned, causing her to internally sigh in relief. "Well, it's a long story, so you might want to get comfortable." When Bubblegum leaned back on the padded bench as well, Finn began his story.

"As soon as I fell out of that wormhole all those years ago, I knew I wasn't in Ooo. There were trees off in the distance unlike anything I had seen before. I was standing in front of a very old, very large castle, made completely out of what could only be obsidian. A flash of light behind me turned out to be that giant eye." Finn's smile turned into a small frown. "Without even explaining why I was there, it told me to follow it up the stairs. So I did."

"And then what?" Bubblegum asked, completely enraptured by the story: Finn continued.

"As we walked through the front door, it showed me a large pool in an oddly-shaped fountain. Without even touching me, a small lock of my hair flew from my head and went into the water, causing it to swirl and become almost as a moving painting. As I looked into it, I saw...terrible things. It told me this was the future of Ooo if I wasn't prepared. Then, without a cause for changing its attitude, it seemed happy and said 'We've got a lot of work to do.' With a twirl of light it flew off towards what looked to be the library."

"What kind of things did you see in the pool?" Bubblegum wondered. Finn shook his head.

"I would prefer not to say," he muttered, his voice low with foreboding. Bubblegum nodded, understanding that it must have been horrible for Finn to not want to recite it. After a few moments of silence, Finn continued with his tale.

"So, naturally, I followed it. In the library, it gave me a stack of books, manuscripts and journals to read. 'Learn well from these,' it said. 'I will return in an hour. After that, I will show you the rest of the castle.' And then, just like that, it flew off again, the large doors slamming behind it."

Finn smiled slightly, as if recalling a fond memory. "I never thought books would bring me such knowledge, but it would seem that the eye knew I didn't like to read. The books were all exciting and full of tales of heroism and adventure." He flicked a leaf off his shoulder. "_Among other things_," he thought to himself.

"So what did the eye do when it returned?" Bubblegum wondered. She desperately wanted to ask Finn what he thought of Ooo now that he returned, but she kept herself from blurting it out. She had waited six years: she could wait a little longer.

"It then took me on a tour of the castle: through the armory, the kitchens, the royal ballroom, the throne room, the astronomy tower, all of it. Everywhere it went, it told me of the history of the place and how I would be trained there," Finn said with a far-off look in his eyes. "Then, near the end of the day, it took me to a spacious and rather clean bedroom. It told me that this would be my room until I was ready."

"Ready for what?" Bubblegum asked, slightly confused. Finn was talking like he knew something she didn't: obviously he was holding something back from her. Her inquisitive mind was always in the mood for learning new things, but his storytelling was driving her mind up a wall: she needed to know _now_.

"Ready to be a true hero," Finn said. "It trained me for the next five years, day after day, week after week, month after month."

"What about the sixth year?" Bubblegum asked. He had been gone for nearly six long and rather difficult years, but he had been trained for five: what had happened during that last year he was gone?

"After the fifth year, he sent me on grand adventures to further hone my skills. To tell you the truth, I had not expected to come back from many of them, let alone back to Ooo," he said, a tremor of sadness slipping into his speech. "I was afraid I would never see any of you again, especially you, princess."

"Me?" she asked, somewhat confused but not entirely upset. "Why me? We all missed you Finn, especially the candy folk and your brother Jake, but why mention me when so many more missed you as much as I did?" It was best to ask him an easy question, or else she might just grab him then and there without any apparent reason.

"Isn't it obvious?" he said, taking her hands in his, stroking them softly with his fingers. "Of everyone I knew, only you affected me in ways I could not have understood. But now that I am older, I know what that was." His hands, despite their obvious strength, were surprisingly gentle and rather smooth to the touch. She shuddered internally: who knew what else they could?

"What was it, Finn?" Bubblegum asked, whispering softly. She knew it already, but she needed him to say it. Six long years of regret and now anxiety were threatening to spill out of her in a torrent of emotion: she needed an outlet lest she burst.

"Love," he said, simply and earnestly. "I had not known it, but what I felt was love. A love stronger than anything I could ever experience."

"Oh Finn," she said, nearly bursting into tears of joy. He had finally said it: after all those years of waiting, of never knowing the truth, she had finally heard the words she had grown to yearn for. "I have loved you too, for so long, but your age and what I thought to be just affections drove us apart. The truth is you were the bright light in my world, and now that you're back, I feel lightened of a burden I did not know I carried. I truly have always loved you, Finn my hero: I just never knew how to express it."

He leaned closer, so close she could see the sparkling depths of his eyes. "I think I know how to."

He leaned in and kissed her, pressing his lips to hers with an intensity and gentleness that made her head dizzy. She could only think of one thing to do as his beard tickled her chin: kiss him back with the same fervor. They sat there in silence, her hands pulling him deeper into the kiss as the setting sun's rays lit up over the treetops.

**A/N: Well, what do you think? Will the two of them finally be together, or will something drive them apart once again? Tune in next week to find out, my faithful and oh-so-awesome readers! Also, over 3500 hits? You guys rule!**


	8. The Fight and the Fall

**Chapter Seven: The Fight and the Fall**

**A/N: Over 4,000 hits? You guys rock! Also, there is a reason as to why this story is rated M. This chapter is one of those many reasons.**

Unbeknownst to the kissing couple, a raven was watching them from a tree. Its black plumage concealed it well within the leaves as its dark eyes watched them in an unnatural manner: they wouldn't blink at all. After a few more minutes the couple left the bench and the garden, leaving the bird alone in its perch. Its purpose was over: now was the time to go back to its master.

The raven flew from its hiding place and travelled over the hills, its broad black wings supporting the heavier-than average head as it passed the corpses of the rock giants. Swooping below a large tree branch belonging to a solitary tree on the borders of the Ice Kingdom, it flew over the icy fields and frozen canyons without pause. Dropping in altitude upon approaching the Ice Castle, it entered a window and flew into the king's throne room. The Crystal Lemon King sat upon his throne, looking tired and somewhat sickly. His body had crystalline growths all over it, and other patches of his flesh looked severely damaged. He looked up at the sound of wing beats, his neck making a slight cracking sound. The eyes were no longer white: the pupils had taken on a color similar to dark red, as if he were bleeding internally.

"Ah," he said; his voice was more of a hiss than a coherent form of known communication. His sharpened teeth, a pale yellow-green, glistened with his caustic saliva. "My spy: what do you have for me?" The bird landed on his outstretched leg and turned around. Protruding from the back of its head was a series of dark crystals: memory crystals, to be precise. The king clapped his hands with malicious glee, the finger tips curled in a manner similar to claws. Though his fingers trembled with excitement, the king carefully removed the crystals from the back of the bird's head. Gazing into the crystals, he soon heard and saw what the bird had seen. After a few minutes, he re-absorbed them into his head and sent the bird on its way, leaving him alone once again.

"So," he said to himself, clasping his hands together in a triangle shape. "Finn and the princess are in love. This was to be expected, after all those years of affection and the promises of something more. But what am I to do? I can't risk another full-out assault on the kingdom; the giants failed me, so what chance does anyone else have? I need to either weaken or kill this hero, and without the royalty, the kingdom would soon fall." He thought long and hard as to what to do: any idea without the proper planning to back it up would be doomed to fail. After a few moments of silent concentration, he raised his arms in evil joy, his crystal sections sparkling from the few rays of sunlight penetrating the gloomy cold of his castle.

"Eureka! I've got it: I'll kidnap the princess, poison the hero with an incurable toxin, and then march upon the rest of Ooo with my unstoppable armies!" His glee faltered slightly, realizing the problems of his master plan. Just how was he going to have the princess kidnapped, and unharmed to boot? Even more pressing, who would be brave and skilled enough to take out Finn or at least render him harmless? "Who am I to trust with this most dangerous mission?" he thought.

He thought long and hard once more, going through the list of worthy applicants in his mind. "No, no, Scorcher won't do. He's settled down and is raising a fiery smoke-ninja family. He specifically told me not to disturb him. That Me-mow isn't available; he still has not passed an entrance exam yet." He counted down more applicants, rattling them off in his mind; each seemed less likely to succeed.

"Well, who do I pick? The goblins are dead, the skeleton army is destroyed, and my rock giant allies have fallen: everyone I send after them keeps winding up dead!" He pressed his hands into his temples, rubbing his blotched fore-head. There had to be someone worthy of the task, someone trained to deal with troublesome problems. Better yet: a group of like-minded people who worked together to achieve their goals.

He nearly jumped out of his throne: "Of course! How could I be so stupid? I must speak with the Assassin's League immediately: they'll gladly take on this mission. After all, they owe their allegiance to me, so to them my word is law." He cackled with glee: unlike the other ones, this plan would not fail. Summoning his messengers, he sent them to the mountain fortress-city near the edge of his border: the home of the assassins, Fasmya. He had purposely left it standing: it would not be a good idea to alienate his most lethal citizens.

Within hours his messengers returned with news: the assassins would leave in a large group that night to start their mission. Nearly twenty left the mountain fortress on horseback, heading towards the Candy Kingdom. The master assassin was among their ranks. He shouted over his shoulder: "Remember what we need to do: capture the princess, and if possible, kill Finn the human!"

The forest was silent as they passed through it; the hoof beats of the horses the only sound permeating the dense foliage. Small creatures of the night scattered silently before them, taking cover in shrubs and rotting logs. The assassins rode in silence, neither speaking nor looking at each other. The lead assassin pondered how they would accomplish their mission, as this was no ordinary assignment. Very rarely were so many assassins called out to complete such a task. "The back window is out of the picture, as it is too close to the barracks," he thought with a frown. "The front gate will be heavily guarded, but we'll need that open if a hasty retreat is in order."

He thought for a few more seconds, the plan forming slowly. "I know: we'll sneak in through the sewers, scale the wall to the princess' bedroom and whisk her away without letting anyone know we were there. Meanwhile, two of my best assassins will open the gate for us and be waiting with our horses and a carriage." Arriving at the outskirts of the city, the master assassin instructed his subordinates to follow his plan. Breaking off into groups, they each wormed their way through the sewers. "Man," thought Alium Mal, the leader. "This place stinks of dissolved sugar and wet moss." He passed by the skeleton of what seemed to be a deer with hands: likely one who had gotten lost and died down there long ago. "Too bad for him," he thought.

Meanwhile, in the Candy Kingdom…

Princess Bubblegum was brushing her hair, softly singing a little tune. After her "conversation" with Finn in the garden, her mind was buzzing. "Where do we go from here?" she thought, setting down her brush. "Will it be even possible to pick up where we left off? He has changed so much…" She sat down on her bed, lost in thought. "He's not the boy I knew: he's become so much more than that." Hearing a noise, she turned around. A hooded figure was clambering over the railing on her balcony.

"Who are you?" she asked, thinking things were not right. Another figure followed the first, then another and another. The first one grinned maliciously: he drew a small dagger.

"Your worst nightmare," he said. With a flick of his wrist, he sent the dagger soaring through the air. Flying so close to Bubblegum it pulled at her hair with its air displacement, it landed in the edge of the door, embedding deep within the mahogany wood. Bubblegum rushed to the door in a panic and pulled with all her might: it was shut fast. Her hurried breathing made a scream impossible for a few moments: what was she to do?

Backing against the door, panicking, she could only watch as the figures drew closer, with more and more climbing into her room. She was trapped, trapped in a room full of thugs that were going to do something terrible. She did the only thing she could think of when her breathing had calmed slightly: scream with all her might.

The figures rushed as a group to silence her, but the damage had been done: the alarm bells all around the castle suddenly began to ring, clanging loud enough to likely raise the dead. They quickly bound and gagged her with rope, easy to do when it was one versus so many. Struggling proved futile: the knots were expertly tied and the rope was not old.

"What did I tell you?" yelled Alium Mal as he climbed up and over the balcony ledge, his red eyes narrowing. "I said this was to be a silent mission. I didn't tell you to alert the entire damn kingdom!"

The first assassin bowed before him, his split hood revealing his features. "Many apologies, great mentor. We took her by surprise: she has no way out but with all of us."

Alium Mal nodded, still angry about their cover being blown. "You will be put to hard work when we get back, Fisar. Now let us hurry, we have to leave before-".

An enormous crash emanated from the end of the room, causing dust to fall from the ceiling. He looked back past his assassins to see the door fall to the floor, a great dent in the center. The Master Assassin looked up from the door and saw three figures step in: Peppermint Butler, Jake the Dog, and Finn the Human. "Unhand the princess you fiends!" shouted Finn, stepping forward. His hands had balled into fists and his arms seemed to swell with suppressed strength. His armor and weapons were not with him: he was all but defenseless.

Alium Mal raised his hand, pointing at the trio. "Assassins: kill them!" he shouted. His cohorts charged, ready to do battle. Finn charged, closely followed by Peppermint Butler and Jake. The two groups met in the middle of the room, and all hell broke loose. Jake surged forward, twisting around an assassin and crushing him with his stretching powers. The assassin's blood leaked out onto the floor like juice squeezed from a ripe fruit. Meanwhile, Peppermint Butler drew a long dagger from somewhere in his little vest and began to duel another assassin.

Finn was unarmed, wielding only his fists. His opponent laughed at this and plunged his dagger forward. Finn sidestepped him with uncanny speed and swung his fist down on the enemy's arm: a loud crack emanated from the assassin. His arm broken, the assassin's dagger flew out of his hand as he withdrew his arm to his side. Finn swiped the dagger out of the air with seemingly minimal effort and plunged it into the shocked assassin. A spurt of blood exited the wound as the assassin fell, writhing in agony.

Finn maintained a firm grip on the dagger, causing it to pull out of the mortally wounded fiend. More blood splashed everywhere as Finn turned around and threw the dagger. It soared through the room into the back of another assassin, about to attack Peppermint Butler from behind. He fell, wracked with pain and the sudden loss of his ability to move his legs. As he fell backwards, he landed upon the embedded dagger, sending it plunging deeper into his back. The very tip suddenly protruded from his chest, and his cries became silent.

Peppermint Butler, unaware of Finn's deed, continued to duel his assailant. With a series of vicious strikes, he sliced the ankles and knees of the assassin. The thug fell forward, landing directly on Peppermint Butler's dagger. It plunged into his chest, severing major arteries and causing a massive shock to his system. He died quickly, the blood pooling underneath him. Jake was across the room, fighting two assassins at once. Twisting out of the way of a dagger slice, Jake stretched his fist into a sledgehammer and smashed it into one of the assassins. The fiend flew out of a window and fell to the pavement below, his screams silenced shortly after disappearing from sight. Jake spun and did the same to the other one, sending him out of another window. This unlucky one flew out onto the ramparts, skewered by the delicious candy spikes.

All this time, more and more assassins pressed in, eager to kill the heroes. Alium Mal, meanwhile, was lowering Princess Bubblegum by rope to a waiting carriage. Her struggling was making it difficult to hold onto her, but hold her he did, for he knew his punishment would be severe should he deliver damaged. Reaching the carriage, he was about to chuck her inside when her gag came loose. Finally able to shout, she screamed for help. "Somebody help me!"

"Quiet!" Alium Mal shouted, smacking her upside the face. His blow did little damage, but the shock sent the princess into a fit of coughs. They were soon followed by ear-splitting wails.

Finn, still fighting up in the tower, went completely berserk when these sounds reached his ears. "I'll kill all of you!" he shouted, logic and reasoning fleeing him as blood-lust and rage took over. His first assailant was too slow: an extremely powerful uppercut sent him into the ceiling, splitting his head open like a ripe melon. Spinning around, Finn blocked an attack by another assassin and rammed his fist into his chest, punching through the flesh and grabbing a rib. Ripping it asunder from the quickly-dying fiend, he spun again and impaled another in eye, driving the bone shard into his brain.

Finn charged another assassin and grabbed him by one arm and leg. Lifting him over his head, his muscular arms strained with power as he pulled in opposite directions. With a great tearing noise, he ripped the assassin in half at the waist, sending blood and gory guts flying everywhere. Another villain tried to flee before him, running for the balcony. In his haste, he tripped over the corpse of one of his allies. Finn, without hesitation, jumped on his back and grabbed his head. Amidst the assassin's cries for mercy, Finn watched his muscles strain and the assassin's neck soon gave out. With a great ripping noise, Finn ripped the fiend's head off, pulling it out along with his entire spinal column. Blood and flecks of organs leak out the hole in the assassin's torso.

Finn chucked the bloody mess out the window, where it landed on the carriage right next to Alium Mal. Looking into the eyes of his savagely defeated comrade, Alium Mal leaned over the carriage and threw up, his vomit splattering all over the ground. "This cannot be right," he thought. "How is he too much for my men?"

Meanwhile, Peppermint Butler and Jake were off to the side, watching Finn single-handedly demolish enemy after enemy. "Do you think we should help him?" Jake asked, ducking as a spurt of blood flew near him.

"No way," replied Peppermint Butler, wincing at the screams of a dying assassin. "I think he's doing fine on his own."

The assassins began to flee en masse, terrified of Finn's wrath. "Everyone, fall back!" shouted Alium Mal, sitting down on the carriage. As he wiped his mouth free from the speck of vomit coating his lips, he signaled the two assassins by the main gate. Both light barrels filled with explosive powder and fled, racing to board the carriage. Seconds later, two massive explosions blew the gate to pieces. "We're moving out!" Alium Mal shouted, cracking the whip. The horses lurched forward, intent upon escaping the flames and the noise. The other assassins mounted their steeds and fled as well, making sure to fire their crossbows at any candy guard they saw. The guards, pinned down by the bolts and the fire, were unable to do anything. Several tried to rise and fight but instead fell from bolts to their shoulders.

Finn, slightly calmed down, leaped off the balcony and slid down the rope. Landing on the ground, Finn rushed an assassin and punched him square in the face, knocking him out. Several teeth flew out of his mouth, but Finn ignored this. As the fiend fell from his startled steed, Finn mounted the horse and rushed off after the carriage. Jake and Peppermint Butler tried to follow him, but Jake just wasn't fast enough. As the horse thundered after the carriage, dirt and debris flew from underneath the thundering hooves. Finn quickly gained on the carriage and with a burst of speed leaped on it, trying to pull it over. As he stood up, he saw the master assassin stand up as well at the reigns. "What do you want with the princess?" Finn asked, ready to do battle.

Alium Mal smiled in a very unsettling manner. "It does not matter for you, but know this: this land will fall as will the others." Quickly reaching into a pocket, the assassin drew a long tube. "There will be no rescue for this princess," he said as he picked something from his pocket and placed it into the tube. Raising the pipe to his lips, he quickly shot out what appeared to be a dart. Finn grabbed it in mid-air, smug.

"Did you think I wouldn't block that?" he mocked, tossing it off the carriage. In the distance, an assassin cried out as the dart pierced his throat. The master assassin smirked, his rather sharp teeth poking through from behind his ragged lips.

"Alium Mal never, ever misses; did you block the second one as well?" Finn looked at his shoulder: a long black needle protruded from his unarmored flesh. He quickly grabbed it and pulled it out, but the damage was done: the sinister poison was already spreading quickly through his body.

"You fiend!" shouts Princess Bubblegum from inside the carriage, where she could see everything occurring. Alium Mal just laughed, turned around and whipped the horses again, urging them to go faster.

"Princess," muttered Finn, feeling like he was about to pass out. Closing his eyes, he fell off the side of the carriage like a sack of potatoes, landing and rolling in the dust with no resistance. Bubblegum's screams of horror faded into the night as the carriage passed by the last of the forest's trees and headed towards the Ice Kingdom. Clouds in the distance began to gather over the icy fortresses' walls.

Finn lay there in the dust, feeling weaker and weaker as the poison did its work. Through his eyelids, he could see a shadow pass over him. Tilting his head, he could see a mysterious figure standing over him, the hunched frame signifying it was likely an elderly person.

"Please," he moaned. "Help me. I must save Bubblegum." With that, Finn blacked out, unable to feel the hands pick him up and carry him off. Silence soon dominated the area, with the only sounds being crickets chirping in the darkness and the crunching of leaves through the forest.

**A/N2: Well, am I a misleading devil or what? Fret not: there's more where that came from: specifically, next week!**


	9. An Heir, the Reason and the Coming Storm

**Chapter Eight: An Heir, the Reason and the Coming Storm**

Death seemed to be different than what Finn had imagined. He opened his eyes and rose from the ground to see a great circle of chairs standing in the middle of a white field. Curious: why were there chairs in the middle of a field? Standing up, he noticed he was still in his clothes, albeit cleaner and not even ruffled. A hint of confusion settled in his mind, but he decided it could wait. As he walked up to one of the chairs, he noticed something even stranger. One had his name engraved in it: Finn. Now why would someone engrave his name in a chair? He didn't remember ever getting a chair as a present, and the craftsmanship on the wood was better than anything he had seen before. Looking around, he saw a thick white mist form around the outskirts of the chairs, obscuring everything beyond it. Finn thought the cloud didn't look threatening, however: it seemed almost peaceful.

His senses alerting him to something unnatural, Finn spun around: voices were emanating from within the cloud, coming from all sides. They seemed calm and relaxed, as if conversing about the weather or something similar. "Might as well see what this is all about," he thought, sitting in his chair. Soon, figures emerged from the mists and sat in corresponding chairs. As they seated themselves, Finn noticed something: the circle of chairs was more of a council crescent, with his chair not near any of the others. He seemed to be facing everyone else at the same time, but why?

As the last figures seated themselves, all chatter stopped. Finn was under the distinct impression that everyone was focused on him. "Uh, hello," he said, giving a small wave. "Why exactly am I here?" He had no idea who these people were, but was in no state of mind to pick a fight: at least, until one of them came at him, perhaps.

A voice spoke up to his left. "Ah, he wonders what he is doing here, but he does not demand to know the answers: he has learned some patience, at least." Other voices murmured in agreement. Another voice spoke up, this one deeper than the first.

"Shall we tell him?" Another round of chatter ensued, a bit more hurried than the other ones. Many seemed to agree that Finn should be informed. Finn scratched his head, slightly nonplussed.

"Inform me of what?" he said, not sure how any of this would make sense. Was he dead or not?

"Of everything, Finn," said another voice, this one to his right. "Who you are, how you got here, and why you are here." Finn blinked in confusion: say what?

The first voice spoke up again. "I think introductions are in order." With a clap, the fog scattered, letting rays of sunshine brighten the circle. Finn, blinking rapidly, could finally make out the beings sitting around him.

"Hey," he said, looking at the first one he heard. "You're dressed like me." The figure threw back his hood and smiled, as did another figure sitting beside him.

"Yes indeed, Finn. That manuscript came in handy, didn't it?" he said, grinning and high-fiving the other figure beside him, his accent having a melodious quality to it. Finn looked around.

"You," he said, pointing at a pale figure with red markings. "Do I know you from somewhere?" The figure nodded, his bald head glinting in the sunlight. Judging from his bulging muscles, he was definitely not someone you wanted to mess with.

"Well, you use my gauntlet, so yes, you know me." Finn turned to another figure, this one with what looked like a jumpsuit and a small backpack. His eyes seemed to spark with amusement.

"Yes, Finn, I know you," he said, cutting off Finn before he could speak. "You have been using my weapon for a while now, and doing a damn fine job, too."

Finn was really confused now. Before he had just been wondering about the chairs: now he was beginning to question his sanity. How did all these people know him? "Just who are all of you?" he asked, hoping they would answer truthfully.

"We are just some of the heroes gone by, Finn," said the one with the jumpsuit. "We are the ones who helped save the world in its darkest hours. Some of us paid the ultimate price to do so." He glanced around, nodding at the other figures. "We are here because we must, Finn. You want to know about your past, don't you?"

Finn nodded: might as well learn something from all of this. A figure next to the pale one spoke next, his wide-brimmed hat and trench coat obscuring many of his features.

"Many years ago, a couple fled from a dying pair of kingdoms. Both had been overrun with a plague and all sorts of devilish creatures. That, and the fact that a nearby volcano was erupting did little to help the matter. In the days following this young couple's escape, both kingdoms were destroyed. Many that had escaped soon found themselves in a lonely world, and all they could do was rebuild what had been lost. So, the young couple, the former prince and princess of each kingdom, joined together to form a new kingdom. Over the years, people who had escaped journeyed to the kingdom and helped it prosper."

"Years later, not long after making contact with another surviving kingdom, the royalty had a son who was betrothed to the daughter of the other kingdom. Rejoicing was great, though it seemed to all that rough times were ahead. Soon after the marriage and honeymoon of the royal couple some years later, a group of anarchists stormed both kingdoms. They were all soundly defeated, but one had managed to make off with the newlywed's infant son. He fled south, journeying many miles through the mountains to where he thought he could live in safety until he had molded the boy into a puppet that he could use to retake the kingdoms and turn them into monarch-less regimes." The figure muttered under his breath: "bloody fool." He looked up again, readjusting his hat and coat collar.

"He never succeeded in his quest. When he stopped and thought he was safe from the pursuing guards, a large two-headed bear chased him onto Boom-Boom Mountain, where it cornered, attacked and killed him. The baby boy had rolled from the man's rucksack into some bushes downwind of the bear, so he was never discovered, even as the bear finished with the man."

"What happened to the boy?" Finn asked, completely at a loss as to how this pertained to him. This sounded an awful lot like something he should already know about, but all of these people were likely long dead.

The figure looked up at Finn. "He was found a few hours later by a dog couple, who took him in and raised him as one of their own. That baby boy was you, Finn."

Finn felt as if his mouth had dropped to the ground. He was royalty? More importantly, there were still humans left?

"Don't be so surprised, Finn. Haven't you felt all along that you were part of something greater?" asked the figure dressed like him. "We have all felt that at some point, whether we invited it into our life or were forced into it."

"Just who are all of you?" Finn nearly shouted: he wanted answers about them _now_. So what if he was royalty? He had a princess and all of Ooo to save, unless he was already dead, of course. The figures all glanced at each other, some with amused expressions and some without any expression at all.

"It is best that you do not know, for we are of no importance to you at the present time. We will give you our titles, but nothing more," said the pale figure. "I am known simply as the Ghost."

"I am Gabriel," said the figure in the trench coat. He looked up, nodding at another.

"I am the Son of None," replied the first figure dressed like him. He turned to the other one.

"I am the Eagle," he said, nodding in Finn's direction. Finn turned to the one in the tracksuit.

"Me? I am Lightning," he said, cracking a smile. A series of sparks flew off his hands, as if in amusement. The mists started to cover up everyone again, and their voices soon became very distant. The floor faded away and all of a sudden, the chair and ground it was standing on fell out from beneath Finn.

"Wait!" shouted Finn, trying to stand up as a roaring wind began to rush past his ears. The area became bright so quickly he had to shut his eyes, lest they be blinded by the light. "What am I supposed to do?"

The voice of Lightning rang out from the mists: "Wake up, hero."

Finn awoke to the smell of burning incense. Turning his head, he saw a figure bustling over a bubbling kettle. For some reason, he couldn't feel his shoulder. Looking down, he saw his body was covered in furs. Why, he did not know. He couldn't move his legs, and his head was buzzing like he had gone hours without a drop of water. "Where am I?" he asked the figure.

It paused over its work and then spoke in a familiar voice. "You've been poisoned, Finn. I brought you here to fix you up." He turned around and brought Finn a bowl filled with soup. "Drink this; it will help you regain your strength." Finn took the bowl in his hands and took a sip.

"How did you find me?" he asked, taking another sip: if he had to guess, it was squirrel stew. The figure sat down in a chair opposite to his bed, his face obscured by the flickering shadows cast by his cooking fire. The chair looked to be hand-made and relatively new, as if it hadn't been around for long.

"You were near death when I brought you here. That poison was working fast on your system, so I drained your blood and filtered out the poison. Your blood is now safely inside your body, though you may feel numbness in your limbs for a while." The figure got up to get back to the pot, stooping over as if affected by great age. A small flicker of bright blue light from his hands instantly cooled another bowl for himself.

"Why did you save me, Ice King?" Finn asked, knowing that voice and that beard from anywhere. The figure paused, letting out a deep sigh.

"Finn, when you disappeared everyone looked for you, myself included. Then, when I was deposed by that insane Lemon-grab, he imprisoned me. While I was there, I kept thinking back onto everything that happened between us. I realized you were the hero of the land, possibly the one who could become the greatest. I escaped a few years later and found my way here, to this cave." He looked at his feet. "I have been living here in secret ever since."

"But why did you save me, Ice King?" Finn asked again. The old wizard looked up and turned around to face Finn, his face bearing no malice: only sadness and a sense of deep thought.

"Because Finn, not only are you the only one who can stop Lemon-grab, but you are the one whose word's and actions convinced me I could be a good person. All those times we fought each other with such passion and vigor, and yet not once did you seek to end me, as another would have. Only the purest of heart can restrain from killing their enemies, especially if they be poor tortured souls such as myself. So, long story short, I saved you so you could save the land of Ooo."

He turned back to his soup. "You'll recover within a few hours, but you still need to get back to the Candy Kingdom. They are all looking for you, and the battle for Ooo will begin within a few days. Lemon-grab may wait, but even his patience has its limits."

Finn lay his back and closed his eyes, falling back to sleep. Ice King looked back at him and muttered: "Goodnight, sweet prince." he had seen into Finn's dreams with his wizard powers, but for now he was content to keep that secret to himself. The boy had always had an air of greatness around him, and now the Ice King knew why.

Finn awoke a few hours later, his dreams a kaleidoscope of jumbled images and noises. Bidding farewell to the Ice King in his little cave, Finn worked his way out of the woods and towards the Candy Kingdom. The sharp rocks and rotten logs he clambered over did little to sway him from his thoughts. To him, the fact that he was royalty did not matter: all that mattered was ending the reign of the Lemon King and freeing the woman he loved.

Meanwhile, in the Ice Kingdom….

Princess Bubblegum was silent as she was brought before the Lemon King. His castle was colder than she thought it would be. She was forced to kneel before him, her knees freezing on the cold floor as the room emptied of many of the guards: there was no point in escorting a captured princess with so many people when she was nearly incapable of doing anything to escape.

"Ah, princess," he hissed, leaning forward upon his ill-gotten throne. "It seems that your hero has fallen. What do you have to say?"

"You are a wicked fiend, Lemon-Grab," she said, looking him straight in the eyes. "I created you, and even though you were a royal pain in the butt, I tolerated your existence. How could you betray the Candy People, all of Ooo? How could you betray your creator?"

"I no longer go by that name, Bonnibel: I am the Lemon King. I care not that you created me, nor do I hold any feelings for the Candy people or any part of Ooo," the Lemon King said, hissing at the word _created_. "It is within my right as a free being to do as I will, and that started with giving myself more power than any Ooo-ian had ever before witnessed, outside of the Lich, of course," he added, smirking at her discomfort. "I _will_ defeat your friends, and I will rule these lands for as long as I see fit. The crystal apple has given me something everyone wishes for: unnaturally long life. I know not when I may die, but it will likely be centuries after the last ruins of your kingdom crumble into sugar-coated dust!"

Bubblegum said nothing at these words, though she felt as though she was about to burst into tears again. The king scowled at her silence.

"I might as well tell you the poison finished him quickly. The only way to counteract it would be to drain his blood and filter it out. Nobody outside of the assassins knows how to do that," he said, cracking an evil smile at the mention of Finn.

He motioned to his guards. "Take her from my sight!" One of the guards raised a hand, fearful he would be punished if he spoke out of turn.

"Where shall we take her, my lord?" The king paused to ponder this question.

"Take her to the volcano fortress," he finally decided, leaning back on his throne. "She can call that her home after we conquer her kingdom." The guards escorted Bubblegum out of the throne room and to another waiting carriage, this one free from any assassins or dirt for a change. After she entered it and listened to the door lock, the driver whipped the horses into action, causing the carriage to lurch forward.

Inside, Bubblegum could only hold back the tears so long. Then, after a bump, she let them loose. "I'll never see Finn again," she thought, the tears running down her face. She had lost him again, but now he couldn't come back to her. The carriage creaked onward, never stopping on its journey towards the mighty prison fortress.

Meanwhile, at the Candy Kingdom…

After walking for what seemed hours, Finn finally made his way through the gates; the smoldering ruins still gave off an ambient heat. Crossbow bolts and hoof prints littered the ground, indicating the part of the battle he had not been part of had been fierce but brief. Then Jake came around the corner of a building, running past a group of soldiers clearing up some rubble. "Finn; where have you been?" he said.

"I couldn't save her," Finn replied, ignoring Jake's question with a single-mindedness that shocked even himself. "Jake, I couldn't save Bubblegum: they got away." He felt as if his heart was about to rip itself to shreds. He had to get her back: they had lost each other once before and now, one again, they had been torn away from one another.

Jake shook his head, worried by Finn's news but still unsure of what to say about it. "We'll get her back buddy, but right now we have bigger problems to worry about. Lemon King is going to march on the kingdom! We have to rebuild what we can and stop him here."

Finn shook his head, his heart thinking about Bubblegum but his mind thinking about the evil Lemon King's wrath. "There are too many innocent people in this place. We need to meet him on the open battlefield."

Jake looked up at Finn, the fur on the back of his neck standing up. "How can we? Our army is pitifully small compared to his crystal legions. We'll be destroyed for sure!"

Finn felt a burst of inspiration. "Well, what about the other kingdoms? The ones he hasn't conquered?" Ooo was a rather large place, after all, and he had no doubt there were many allies still available throughout the land. Marceline would no doubt join him, but he had no idea if Billy or the Ice-King were up to the task. It would take either of them great convincing.

Jake nodded his head. "Yeah; if we can convince the unconquered to join with us, we might just stand a chance."

Finn walked past Jake, headed towards the castle. Walking up the stairs, Finn made his way up to the guest room he had stayed in. Walking over to the bed, he looked upon the medallion centered on his gauntlet. "I'll need my army," he thought out loud. "But how long will it take for them to arrive?" In his head plans swirled of attacks and counter-attacks, but one face kept reappearing: Princess Bubblegum. He had to save her, but not at the cost of losing Ooo to an insane dictatorship. As Finn sat down on the bed and fiddled with his gauntlet, he failed to notice the small orange bird sitting on his window sill. It took off, flapping its wings furiously to reach the Ice Kingdom. The fields flew by under the bird's fiercely beating wings, as if its life depended on how fast this news could be delivered.

Minutes later, the guards in the kingdom knew the Lemon King was unhappy. "How is he still alive?" he shouted, smashing his fists onto his throne. "There is no way he could have survived that poison, never mind recover so quickly!" This Finn was starting to get on his nerves, and people that got on Lemon King's nerves soon found themselves imprisoned or worse.

Settling back into his throne, he sighed. "It doesn't matter if he is alive. He is only one man: a truly extraordinary man, but a single man nonetheless. The armies of Ooo, even combined, are no match for my forces. I shall still win this final war and all of Ooo shall be mine." Ringing a bell, he waited for a messenger to arrive. When he did, Lemon King gave him his orders. "Send word to my generals: we are to march out in two days' time." As his messenger left, the king had only one worry: what was it that Finn had said about his own army?

Meanwhile, in the Candy Kingdom…

Finn was preparing for battle. His armor was cleaned, his sword sharpened and all of his equipment prepped. As he walked out, fully dressed, he ran into Jake.

"Finn," he said urgently. "We've met with the other kingdoms and they've agreed to an alliance. Their armies will meet ours within a day, but the outlook is not good, dude. Lemon King's armies outnumber ours by a good chunk and ours has no siege machines. What are we gonna do?"

Finn patted Jake on the shoulder. "I've sent words to some allies of mine. Their army should be here within two days." Jake nodded, slightly mystified but occupied by other matters. He had no idea just what kind of army Finn could have befriended in his time away, but given Finn's change in that time, it was likely not something to be trifled with.

As Finn walked off to join the rest of the candy army, he muttered under his breath: "I only hope they arrive in time." In the far off distance, a series of clouds began to form in the sky. A storm was brewing, and would arrive in a few days time. The fate of those altered by the storm, however, was uncertain.

**A/N: Well, what do you think? Sorry if you hate me for including these "mystery" guests, but I had a feeling they could give a greater insight into Finn's past better than just some random stranger. Also, if you can guess each mystery character, you get a cookie!**


	10. The War for Ooo

**Chapter Nine: The War for Ooo**

**A/N: Well, I must say you guys are indeed awesome! Over 5,500 hits? Wow! Also, this chapter is what happens when an author finishes it a few months ago, comes back to it two days before publishing time and goes to town on it. What you are about to see is nearly _double_ what it originally was. Enjoy what is by far my longest chapter yet!**

The fields outside the monument of Finn's appearance were silent, save for the growing breeze rustling the grasses. The crater in the ground where the skeleton army had been demolished was a small pond, currently devoid of all forms of life. Given time and the right series of circumstances, it would soon bloom with life, with frogs nestling in its banks alongside families of ducks while the air was filled with the buzz of insects visiting the wildflowers that would soon sprout from the earth. But that was at some point in the future, a future many knew they would not see. Finn stood on top of the hill, hands clasped behind his back. The army of Free Ooo-ians was stretched out before him, collapsing the camp they had set up the day before. Marceline and Billy stood beside him, with the true Ice King walking up the hill to meet them.

"They're all ready," Ice King said, glancing up at the heavily clouded sky. His beard was a long as ever, but the insanity within him had been left behind in the Lemon King's dungeon. Marceline shook her head as she looked out over the forces amassed against the Lemon King. They seemed to spread to the horizon, but they all knew they had significantly fewer soldiers than the insane conqueror.

"We don't have enough," she said, picking at her axe bass. Billy looked at her, his eyes disapproving.

"It will have to do," he said as the true Ice King turned to Finn with uncertainty. A sudden gust of wind made Finn's hair flap all around his head, giving him the appearance of a majestic lion. "What are we to do?" he asked Finn.

Finn drew his sword with a great flourish. "We will lead from the front, destroying as many enemies as we can." He drew out the battle lines in the ground with his sword. "Ice King will lead from the left, using his ice powers to form soldiers and deflect any projectiles. Marceline," he drew another line on the opposite side, "will lead from the right, using the gladiator ghosts and vampire zombies as front troops."

He looked up at Billy, absentmindedly drawing another line behind the others. "As we advance, it is up to you to evacuate wounded and protect them from any straggling enemy soldiers." Of everyone gathered there, Billy was the quickest in battle and tall enough to carry injured troops out of harm's way.

Finn looked down at the map he had drawn, showing a bunch of marks among the soldiers. "The dogs and rainicorns will move around the battlefield, picking off the sides of the enemy's flanks. As they do that, the whywolves and the candy knights will close in and attack the flanks. All of our archers will continually provide cover while the main force advances." Finn stood up: that was the plan, now it just needed to be executed.

"Let's just hope all that tactical training pays off," Finn thought as he erased the drawings with his foot. "The only other thing that will help us is if my army shows up."

Turning back to the army, he drew his sword and thrust it into the air. "Move out!" he shouted, his voice carrying far and wide, even with the steadily-increasing wind. Several trumpets sound into the air, and the army moved out with a great rumble, headed towards the location of the Lemon King's crystal armies. As Finn led the march, a crow flew high over the army and watched the proceedings with great interest. With a squawk it flapped its wings hard enough to send it zooming off in the distance, ignoring the threatening storm clouds. Within a few minutes of losing sight of the army, it soared into the volcano fortress, the current location of the Lemon King.

Flying through the window, it reached the King as he was waited on by his servants. "What is this?" He reached out and quickly grabbed the crystal off of the back of the bird's head. Looking into them, his displeasure grew as rapidly as an explosion.

"Not only is that blasted Finn alive, but he has raised an army?" he shouted, tossing his goblet at the wall. The dink splashed everywhere but he simply did not care: if he had been still holding the goblet he would have crushed it with his fist. Turning to snarl at his quivering entourage, he menacingly dismissed the royal servants, telling them to "tend to the guards, and stay out of his way". They all knew the punishment if they happened to not follow this order: swift and sudden death.

One of the servants went to the three guards guarding the fortress' most valuable prisoner. The guards were all sitting at a table, playing cards while their armor and weapons lay to the side.

"Drinks?" the servant asked, holding out a tray. One of the guards looked up and folded his hand, frowning as another guard pulled all the winnings to his side.

"You know as well as we do that we're not interested in drinks," the first guard said, shuffling the deck and dealing out the cards. "What's the gossip for today?"

The servant set down the tray on a small table and sat down in a fourth chair. "Well, the king is angry with those free Ooo-ians. The one called Finn is leading an army of them here."

"Finn?" one of the other guards asked, drawing a card from the deck. "I thought he was dead."

"Not at all," said the servant. "Seems he not only survived the poison, but he is in good enough condition to fight."

As they talked, they had no idea just how much of their conversation the prisoner could hear. "Finn's alive?" the prisoner thought, almost jumping for joy. She could only hope he would be victorious on the battlefield.

Meanwhile, on the fields just outside of the Ice Kingdom...

Finn was riding along Jake on one of the few large war carriages left from the fire caused by the assassin's attack. As Finn pondered what was going to happen, he felt a shadow pass over him. "Hey Marceline," he said, not even looking up when she sat beside him.

"Don't tell me this whole war thing has got you down," she said, giving him a slight punch to the shoulder. "I've been around for a thousand years: things like this always work out in the end."

"But what if they don't work out this time?" Finn asked, clenching his fists. "That crystal apple gave the Lemon King unheard-of power. Who knows how long he'll live if we lose?"

"Finn, let me tell you something," Marceline said, putting her axe bass on her back: her voice was dead serious and she had a determined look in her eye. "In all my time in Ooo, I can tell you one thing: there has never been a hero as truly as wonderful and unselfish as you. Sure, there may have been before my time, but for a thousand years the greatest hero ever had been Billy. You have surpassed him in all ways and are destined to become the greatest hero we have ever seen."

Finn grinned a bit at her words: greatest hero ever, huh? "Will I be remembered as a bringer of peace or as the hero who let Ooo fall into darkness?" he said, a tone of bitterness in his voice. The carriage bumped a little, sending Marceline into his outstretched arms. They sat in silence for a moment, either too embarrassed or nervous to do anything. After a while, Marceline spoke up again, albeit in a softer tone than before.

"I never could stay away from you, Finn the Human," she said, enjoying the blush creeping onto his face. "But from what I've seen, there's only been room in your heart for one gal, and I'm not it," she said a little sadly, floating up and giving him a peck on the cheek. "If you ever somehow find a way to live forever, you know where to find me." With that, she flew up into the air as the clouds overhead darkened considerably. Finn looked back down at his feet and closed his eyes, searching the inner recesses of his soul for some semblance of calm.

He looked out in the distance, his eyes not seeing what was there. In his mind, he saw the fortress as if he were standing on its very walls. In his mind's eye, he walked through the throne room, past bustling servants and soldiers, slowly making his way deeper and deeper into the stony prison. Then, rounding a corner, he slowly opened a door and found himself in the bottom-most cell. Walking inside, he could almost feel the chill in the stone beneath him and the smell of damp mildew. Turning one way, he walked over and crouched down next to a shuddering ink figure, the girl he had grown to love and the woman he would rescue, even if his life would be lost. Holding open his arms, he encircled her in his embrace, shielding her from the pain of the world. It was the least he could do for his Princess: his Bubblegum.

So enamored by his own vision, he did not even notice the passage of time. Soon enough, and too soon for many, the banners of the Lemon King soon came into view for Finn's army. Snapping out of his reverie and raising his hand, Finn watched as signal horns and banners signaled the army of Free Ooo-ians to stop. The two sides stared at each other across the fields. Finn knew those fields would soon be stained with blood, but the question was: whose blood?

Bidding his friends a possible farewell, Finn went out to meet the enemy commander. The crystal general rode out on his crystal horse, escorted by two knights. Their crystalline armor glinted in the light, even as a gust of wind made the grass beneath their feet swirl like the waves of an ocean. When they met in the middle, the general pulled a list out of a satchel and read it aloud.

"These are the terms of surrender: all forces are to lay down their arms, pledge loyalty to Lemon King, soon to be the Lemon Emperor, and after that, disband and return to their homes. Each kingdom will send it's royalty to King Lemon's borders to pledge their unending allegiance. Otherwise, all who stand and defy His Excellency shall be killed or tortured, and their lands and possessions declared forfeit." He rolled up the scroll and tucked it back in his satchel.

Finn planted the tip of his sword in the ground, his hands resting upon it. "None of us will surrender, general," he said, noticing the silent gaze from the general's escorts. He knew he could take them all on without any difficulty, but he would respect the rules of war: someone had to. "Furthermore, our terms are simply this: release all prisoners, have Lemon King abdicate his ill-gotten throne and reinstate the true Ice King. After that, he is to be put on trial for crimes against Ooo."

The crystal general sneered at Finn's words. "None of those terms will be met, Finn the Human. The pitiful army you have amassed here is but a pebble to the great boulder that is the forces under my command. Our army is vast and powerful, and no other army in Ooo could ever stand up to us. You and your army will die here today, and then all the rest of Ooo shall fall."

Fin nodded his head. "We will see about that, sir." Drawing his sword from the ground, he sheathed it in his scabbard and turned around, walking back to his lines. He heard the horses snort and trod back to the crystal army lines, the general beginning to shout orders to his lieutenants. Finn knew he would be sought ought by the general: his corpse and weapons would be great trophies for the crystal general's master.

Reaching his own lines, he turned to Jake. "How's Lady doing?" he asked, in a manner as if he was asking about the weather. In the midst of what was going to be the greatest battle fought in hundreds of years, Finn knew he had to appear calm and aloof, lest others became even more anxious.

Jake smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his neck. "She's doing great, man. In fact, she told me this morning I'm going to be a dad." Finn nodded at the good news, but was taken aback by his next words. "If you survive this and I don't, will you be the godfather?"

Finn nodded his head and patted his brother on the shoulder. "Of course bro, but you'll be the one bringing the news to Lady by the end of the day."

They both bumped fists as they turned to face the crystal hordes. The army was moving forward; intent on crushing all freedom in Ooo. Finn drew his sword and turned to face the army of Ooo. "We fight for all of Ooo! Do not forget that we fight not on for ourselves, but our families and friends! This is the day we defeat evil, once and for all!" A great cheer rose from the assembled army, reverberating throughout the landscape. Spears and swords were smashed against shields, hooves stamped the ground, and footsteps made the very earth tremble. Turning back to face the enemy, Finn gripped his sword in both hands, his armor glistening. "Charge!" he shouted, moving forward as everything seemed to happen at once.

His army lurched forward, spreading out along the lines. The thunder across the sky signified the battle had begun. Seconds later, both armies clashed in a resounding crash, and everything descended into chaos.

Blasting a chunk of the crystal cavalry, Finn charged forward into the lines of the crystal footmen. Ducking a spar thrust, Finn swung his sword through two soldiers, cutting them apart. Dodging another spear thrust, Finn fired his gauntlet into a phalanx of crystal soldiers, melting their weapons and sending them flying high into the air. All around him, the battle grew more and more fierce. The cries of the dying on both sides were barely suppressed by the clash of weapons. Finn saw Ice King forming ice soldier after ice soldier, sending them off to fill the ranks of soldiers wounded or killed. He would occasionally zap any soldier who got too close, either blasting them with ice shards or completely encasing them in an icy tomb.

Turning back to his own section of the fight, Finn slashed through another soldier's shield and kicked him hard enough to send him flying into the air. With another kick he beheaded a crystal captain and his swinging sword accidentally plunged into the chest of another crystal soldier. Jumping out of the way of a crystal war club and entering his own lines once again, Finn glanced over at Marceline. She had transformed into her giant bat-monster form and was tossing crystal soldiers left and right, while candy footmen and whywolves protected her legs from attack. The gladiator ghosts farther down the line were falling left and right, filled with so many wounds: they would soon cross over and be no more.

Finn turned back to another part of the battle, his mind swirling with strategies as his sword slashed through enemy after enemy. He saw Jake was engaged with a large contingent of crystal ax-wielders and was about to be overrun. "Jake! Duck!" he shouted. His dog brother ducked down as Finn pulled out an ancient automatic crossbow he had found during his journeys. Dropping to one knee and taking aim, Finn fired it with unerring accuracy as he filled dozens of enemy soldiers with bolts, stopping only when Jake rushed back to his side.

"Dude," said Jake, ducking a crystal arrow. "We're not doing so well." Behind him a crystal soldier was cut down by two candy swordsmen, who were then overwhelmed by crystal arrows and nine crystal knights.

Finn blocked a sword strike and returned the blow, cleaving into an enemy's head. "I know dude, but we need to fight on. This is what we have been dreading: the final battle for all of Ooo. We cannot lose!" Swinging his gauntlet up, Finn sent a massive uppercut directly into the chin of a heavy crystal soldier. He flew high into the sky, disappearing from sight within seconds. Then, as if he had caused the clouds to loosen, it started to rain. It poured and poured, with lightning flashing all around the battlefield. One strike landed on Finn's sword: with a twirl, he sent a bolt at the line of crystal archers and siege machines. It splintered in mid-air and struck several catapults and trebuchets, causing some to catch on fire and others to fragment into little pieces. Another splintering bolt struck the archers: many fried where they stood, falling soon after.

Marceline and Ice King were both battling their flanks with increased fervor, but there were too many enemy soldiers reaching past them. Billy was killing dozens of the enemy as he evacuated the wounded. The candy knights had sustained heavy losses after the fifth charge, when the crystal soldiers had brought up their lances. Finn looked over his shoulder after blasting a crystal captain. The gladiator ghosts were all but gone, and Ice King's ice soldiers were starting to melt from the warm rain. Bodies of why-wolves littered the battlefield, their blood oozing out of so many arrow wounds. Finn watched as a line of candy archers fired their arrows: seconds later, they rained down on the enemy lines far past where the fighting was occurring. Only a few did anything: most were being blocked by crystal shields.

Minutes and then hours passed, but still the battle raged on. Thousands fell or were wounded on both sides, the ground slick with blood and sugar and crystal and mud. Spent arrows and weapons littered the fields, many without owners since they wouldn't need them anymore. Finn and Jake, along with the rest of the army, had been pushed back and after a break in the fighting both sides had withdrawn to tend to their injured and dead. Finn was burying a candy soldier when Jake came up to him. "Finn, we have a problem. The crystal armies are almost broken, but those spider-scorpions have reinforced them. We're totally outnumbered!" Finn looked out at the crystal lines, almost too shocked to even move. They had given it their all and nearly broken the crystal legions, but now they were too few, and the crystal legion's allies would destroy them without a second thought. Thousands upon thousands of multi-eyed freaks looked out at him as their stingers waved in the air.

Finn finished patting the ground and turned to Jake. "I'll have to go meet their terms." Jake looked at him in horror. How could Finn the hero give up?

"Why? Why would you give into their demands?" Finn shook his head, his shoulders sagging and defeat filling his voice.

"It's because I'm out of ideas, Jake. I did what I could but we are beaten! Nearly a third of our army is dead and another third is too injured to fight! There has been too much death and-,". A beeping noise emanated from his gauntlet, interrupting his rant with Jake. Finn looked down at it in surprise, not saying anything for a few seconds. Then, just as another flash of lightning lit up the sky, a small grin split his face.

Jake was confused and a little scared: he had never seen such a hungry look in Finn's face before. "Now what are you gonna do?" Finn looked at him, his smile becoming smug and knowing.

"I'm... going to give the terms of surrender," he said. Jake was about to protest when Finn gave him a wink. Jake's eyes widened in realization Finn was up to something. But just what was he going to do?

Finn walked out of the decimated army, signaling with a flag to the crystal commander he wished to discuss terms. As they met in the middle of the field, Finn noticed that the commander was smiling and, more frustrating, completely unharmed. The general cleared his throat. "My terms are the same, Finn." He leaned back in his saddle, waiting for Finn to speak. His armies had taken a beating, but his allies had arrived and would surely overrun the remnants of the Free Ooo-ians.

Finn nodded his head. "As are mine, general." The crystal soldier's smile quickly turned into an ugly frown.

"How can you continue to resist our might?" he asked. "You have lost much of your army, and many more are wounded." Finn simply smiled.

"Because I can," he replied. "Besides, by the time this is over, you will be dead and anything left of your army will be in retreat. I'll be seeing you on the battlefield, general."

The crystal leader was furious beyond words; he turned around and galloped back to his lines. Finn could tell the general wanted his head on a pike. He just wouldn't give him the chance: he had plenty of energy left for a fight. Finn remained where he stood, pressing several buttons on his gauntlet and aiming it at the advancing crystal army. Right before they were within firing distance of Finn, a massive blast of energy shot forth from the clouds. It struck the center of the enemy's army, sending troops and equipment flying everywhere. Bodies and a huge amount of dirt rained down like a torrent, leaving many dead and dying.

Jake ran up to Finn, his mouth agape. "What the math was that?" Finn turned and smiled at Jake, drawing his sword with a flourish.

"That would be my army, bro." They both looked into the sky to see an absolutely massive floating castle come through the clouds, surrounded by hundreds of other smaller floating castles. Another blast emanated from the top of the castle's spire, spraying the battlefield with shattered remains of crystal soldiers. The symphony of confusion and outright panic among the crystal soldiers was intense. "Charge!" shouts Finn, rushing the discordant enemy with his sword raised. The Ooo-ian army charged forward. The small floating castles land on the rear flank of the crystal armies and released their troops: thousands upon thousands of lizard-like soldiers. They absolutely swarmed the surprised enemy. What before was a close battle turned into an absolute slaughter. Crystal soldier and spider-scorpion fell in huge numbers time and time again. Finn beheaded the crystal general as he tried to flee the battlefield, his guards and subordinates all dead. In the end, barely a hundred crystal soldiers and a dozen spider-scorpions escaped, many of them simply dropping their weapons and heading for the hills.

Finn stood in the center of the field, his head heavy and his arms weak. He had never fought anything like this, and too many had paid the price for victory. Jake had taken a dying crystal soldier's dagger to his thigh, but he would easily recover. Ice King and Marceline were supporting Billy, who was covered in wounds and blood, though most of it wasn't his. But there were others that hadn't been so lucky. Tens of thousands had died in the fighting, and many more were injured. Finn turned to his right and saw one of the candy towers lying on its side; the lifeblood of sugar had leaked out of the large hole in its head. Finn kneeled on the ground, his sword before him. "From this day forth, this is hallowed ground. When all is finished, I swear that the fallen dead shall be forever remembered." He rested a hand upon one of the few clean patches of grass. "Be at peace," he said. Standing up, he looked to his fellows who were not gravely injured. "We need to free the Lemon King's prisoners and depose him," he said. They all raised their weapons and followed him away from the battlefield, moving slowly but surely towards the volcano fortress. Given the distance, it would not be long before Finn's army and the remaining Free Ooo-ians would reach it, and the madness within.


	11. An Old Enemy's Return and the Showdown

**Chapter Ten: An Old Enemy's Return and the Showdown**

Meanwhile, at the Lemon King's fortress...

The Lemon King was arguing in the mirror. If a passing servant paid attention, he would hear two different voices emanate from the king's mouth. "I am in control, you fool!" the king shouted, smashing his fists on his table. His eyes glazed over and a deep, threatening whisper slithered out of his throat.

"_No, Lemon King; I am growing stronger by the minute. Soon, you will fall, and my evil will spread across this land._" His eyes clearing up, the king shook his head and wiped the sweat from his brow. It was all coming undone: his plans, his body, and even his mind. A messenger rushed into the room, quickly kneeling before the king. His heavy breathing indicated this message was of the greatest importance, as only the gravest of news was delivered with haste.

"My king," he gasped. "The armies...they have been destroyed!" The king spun in place and lunged at the messenger, grabbing him by the front collar. He hoisted him up to eye level, his eyes burning in rage.

"WHAT!" he shouted, shaking the terrified messenger. He then threw the poor servant to the floor and clenched his fists. "Prepare all the defenses! They are likely to march upon us within hours! Go now, before I kill you for your incompetence!" The messenger, bowing his trembling head, rushed out to spread the news. The king turned back to his mirror, his rage building. "That Finn; he did this!" He smashed the mirror with his crystal fist, sending shards everywhere. He looked into it, his image splintered into many small pieces.

"I will kill him myself!"

Meanwhile, near the fortress...

Finn stood upon a hill, looking at the fortress across the plains and up the mountain's slope. He turned back: only a small portion of the surviving Ooo army was with him. The majority of his own army was with him, with several detachments assisting in burial duty back at the "Fields of the Fallen Free', as it was being called. The general of his own army had given him his full armor suit, making sure that everything was in place.

"This fortress is a stain upon the land of Ooo," he shouted, looking into the faces of the soldiers. "When we take this castle and free our friends, we will destroy this place." Turning back, he began the march towards the fortress, closely followed by the forces of freedom. The battle for the grounds around the fortress was brief. Soon, Finn and his allies swarmed the fortress and began the long process of rooting out the defenders and freeing the prisoners.

In the king's throne room...

The Lemon King could only watch out the window in anger as Finn's forces poured into the fortress. His own troops would hold out for a while, but not long enough for him to escape. He was trapped, but there was still one last card to play, one last chip to throw in. He turned to Alium Mal, the leader of the assassins. "Bring me the princess, assassin: I am in need of her." He bowed to the king and swiftly went in the direction of the dungeons. The king turned back to his throne, running trembling fingers over the arm rest. "I became the most powerful king ever to live in Ooo," he muttered. "I ruled more lands than anyone before me: I was so close to becoming an emperor in name and power. And now I lose it all, to a commoner out of place in this land." He sighed in defeat, but then suddenly hunched over, a sudden and terrible pain in his chest.

An evil voice emerged from his lips. "_My time has come." _Lemon King could only watch as he started to change, his body growing and his skin changing tone, swirling different colors at an astounding rate. He remained hunched over, racked with pain as his mind began to fragment. His shoulders seemed to grow as a large hump of muscle sprouted from his back and travelled all the way down to the backs of his legs. Where his feet had been clad in shoes, things similar to talons sprouted out from the tips. His long nose seemed to curve into his face, leaving it a downward-hook shape. Under his heavy shoulders, his arms seemed to stretch until they had reached almost grotesque proportions in length. His hands no longer had just fingers: several were crystalline and the thumbs now had wicked claws. He then let out a deep and throaty laugh, sinister beyond belief: the transformation was complete.

Outside, leading Princess Bubblegum from her cell, Alium Mal was having second thoughts on his employment to the Lemon King. Princess Bubblegum's words did little to ease his mind.

"You know he'll just betray you, as he has so many others," she was saying as they walked past torches on the walls.

"He would not betray me, for we are a great threat to him if we ourselves are threatened," he replied, opening a door. They walked through a series of corridors and up a spiral staircase out of the fortresses' basement. "He is the reason I am the Master Assassin: without him, I would be just another assassin. It was by his advice and his guidance that I poisoned the old master and became the new one." The princess ceased to talk at his words, instead electing to remain silent as he lead her towards the throne room.

When the master assassin walked in with Bubblegum, the Lemon King was unrecognizable. His skin looked stretched and the color of puke. Well, whatever skin had not become covered by crystals. One of his eyes had sunken into his face, the entire pupil black with a sickly yellow iris. The other was partially covered by a crystal growth covering a portion of his head and face. His teeth had become like needles, glistening with his caustic saliva.

"Yes," he hissed, his voice no longer that of the Lemon King's. "Bring Bubblegum over here, assassin."

Alium Mal was very disturbed to see the king like this, but he did as he was told, lest he be banished from his service or even attacked. As he shackled the princess to the floor, Lemon King turned away from the princess and looked him straight in the eye.

"Guard the door," he hissed, spittle flying from his lips. "Kill any who try to enter."

Bowing, Alium Mal went outside the door and stood guard. Lemon King locked the door behind him, intent on not letting anyone in the room. Turning back to the princess, he smiled in an entirely unpleasant way and walked towards her, his arms nearly scraping his knees. His footsteps clacked against the stone floor, for his talons were chipping the stone upon every step.

"Hello, princess. Do you recognize me?" Bubblegum shook her head. "Well, that is rather understandable, as we have not been reacquainted for some time. This form cannot hold me back much longer," he said, looking down at the grotesque arms; they were intermittently covered in crystals. Bubblegum looked at him, puzzled and disgusted by the monstrosity before her.

"It is I, princess: the Lich," he said, walking back and sitting upon the throne. Bubblegum gasped in horror; how could it be the Lich? Finn, Jake and the Ice King had seen to his final defeat, had they not? "Don't be so surprised, princess," he said, laughing at her scared face. "My power is not so easily destroyed, as am I." A small set of crystalline horns suddenly sprouted from the back of his skull, giving him a somehow even more demonic appearance.

"So you have been behind all of this the entire time?" she asked, trembling. His grin split his face wider, causing more teeth to show than should be possible.

"Well, the Lemon King started much of this, though I can't say I didn't do anything," he said, taking pleasure in her confusion and horror. "Ever since I was defeated after I possessed you, I was merely biding my time. The snail's form was too slow for my liking, so I had him crawl all the way back to my well of power. When I left his body, I realized I could no longer create my own physical form." He ran his fingers up and down the sides of the throne. "It was luck that a group of goblins came by, so I possessed them and gave them power. Be that as it may, I could not take a true form since they did not have enough power within themselves to catalyze a reaction. So, I waited and waited."

He clasped his hands. "So one day, the goblins were visited by a messenger from the now Lemon King, asking for an alliance. I had heard through my puppets that he had eaten a crystal apple, so I knew he had more than enough power within to give me a new body. So I watched and waited, but something happened I could not foresee." He balled his hands into fists, causing the stone armrests he was resting on to crack.

"That blasted Finn showed up again, destroying my hosts. The power I had given them had done little to protect them from his might, much to my surprise and dismay. Luckily for me, as each one died, each little bit of me transferred from one to another. When Lemon King killed one, all of that essence flowed directly into him. It was only a matter of time before the last goblin would die, and when he did I was complete and inside Lemon King. It was only a matter of time before I completely controlled him, as I do now."

He leaned back on the throne. "Do you not see, princess? I am your worst nightmare, an evil Ooo has never known: my power has fused with that of the crystal apple. I am no longer a mere king: I am the Lich Emperor."

Meanwhile, in other parts of the fortress...

Finn ducked another sword blow and smashed his gauntlet into the defender's face, cracking his skull open. His army had all but freed the prisoners and left the fortress, but there were still stragglers to take care of. Most importantly of all, he needed to find Princess Bubblegum.

"Finn," said one his soldiers, stepping over the bodies of fallen defenders. "We have found all but one of the prisoners, and the rest of the defenders are fleeing." He didn't need to tell him who was missing, judging from Finn's expression.

"Pursue them," Finn responded, pulling his sword out of q dying defender, finishing him off quickly. "If they do not fight, capture them. I am sure the prisoners would like to prosecute those who imprisoned them." The soldier bowed his head and left, leaving Finn at a barred wooden door.

"This must lead to the throne room," he thought. Raising his gauntlet, he smashed it into the door. With a concussive force, the door flew inwards and soared out a window. When Finn walked inside, he saw he was in a hall of sorts.

"Greetings Finn the Human," called out a voice. "We meet again, though I had not expected this to happen. That was the deadliest and rarest poison in all of Ooo, and it took me weeks to procure enough for that assignment. I hope you are not so tired as you cannot fight me." Finn looked across the room. Near a heavy door, one that surely led to the throne room, stood the assassin who had poisoned him earlier. His attire suggested he had come to a ceremony: what he didn't know was that it would be his own funeral.

"Who are you?" Finn asked, his jaw setting at the memory of the poison coursing through his body.

"My name is Alium Mal, hero," he sneered, drawing a sword with a fancy flourish. "That will be the last name you ever hear."

"Prove it," said Finn, readying his sword. They stared at each other in silence, and then as if a signal had been given, they charged at each other.

Finn quickly swung his sword right-to-left while simultaneously ducking the assassin's overhand blow. His sword nicked the assassin's armor but drew no blood. Quickly pivoting, Finn brought his sword down, aiming for the assassin's head. But the assassin had thought of this: his sword was ready and met Finn's, barely staving off what would have been a lethal blow.

Snarling, Finn backed up and set his stance for another attack. Rushing forward, he whirled his sword around in an overhead arc, leaving little room for the assassin to maneuver. Taking a risk, the assassin leaped out of the way and brought his sword up, parrying a blow from Finn.

As the assassin backed up, he sneered. "You have skill, boy" he said, spitting out the word as if it were a foul taste in his mouth. "But I have spent years training with my weapon: what makes you think you can defeat me?"

Finn only lowered his sword and charged again. They met blow for blow, strike for strike. Both gave and gained ground at an ever-changing pace. Swinging his sword around like a whip, Finn landed a series of blows to the assassin's raised sword. Though he did not damage him, the sword was beginning to show signs of strain. Another fierce blow from Finn caused a crack to appear in the handle.

Alium Mal saw this and used a quick series of jabs to back Finn away from him, regretting not bringing another sword. "Why do you continue to fight?" he asked.

Finn dropped his sword into a defensive stance. "Because I am Finn, the hero," he said. Snarling, Alium Mal rushed him. Just as he was about to strike, he saw Finn move faster than anything he had seen before, spinning like a whirlwind. As the hero disappeared from his field of vision, he felt a stabbing pain in his chest. Looking down in horror and shock, he saw the tip of Finn's sword protruding from his chest. Another thrust pushed more of the sword through him, which brought Finn's face right next to Alium Mal's ear as blood leaked from his mouth.

"Besides," whispered Finn as the assassin felt his life draining away. "I trained against real foes whose power you could not even comprehend." Leaning back, he placed an armored foot on Alium Mal's back. With a great push, he shoved the dead assassin off, sending a spurt of blood high into the air. It rained down on the corpse, riddling him with red droplets.

Finn wiped his sword on the assassin's cloak, thrust it back into his scabbard and turned to the last door. Walking up to it, he ran his gauntlet-covered hands over it to look for any way to open it. Failing at that, he looked for any weaknesses within its frame. "Damn," he muttered, finding none. "I'll have to break it down." He couldn't use his gauntlet: if Princess Bubblegum was indeed on the other side, the explosion might injure her. Walking back to the dead assassin, he turned and faced the door. Breathing deeply, he rushed the door and lowered his shoulder. When he was half way to the door, he hit top speed and was just charging through the room. Upon impact, he felt the door give way in several places. Finn flew into the room, skidding to a stop as pieces of the door flew all around him.

"Finn!" shouted a voice. He looked and saw Princess Bubblegum chained to the floor. He rushed over to her. "I've got you!" he said, trying to loosen her chain.

"Hello Finn," said another voice. Finn looked up and saw an extremely deformed Lemon-grab sitting on the throne. He watched as the insane king stood up and approached them. Finn stood up and pulled out his sword, ready to fight.

"Before anything happens, I must say; well done, Finn the Human," Lemon King said, mocking Finn with a sarcastic clapping of his hands. "I never knew how far you would go to get something done, but damn if you didn't go all the way."

"What do you want, Lemon King?" Finn asked, keeping his grip tight on the sword. The evil lemon creature smiled.

"Well, for starters I am no longer the Lemon King. He is gone, and I'm just using his body for the time being. I am really the Lich, you foolish human," he said. Finn's eyes opened wide, shocked at this revelation.

"Now that that is out of the way," he said, slightly shifting his stance. "Please, surrender before you get hurt."

Finn held his ground: "I don't think so," he said.

The Lich sighed. "Fine, have it your way." With that, he made a sudden sweeping motion with his hands. A plume of dark energy shot forth and smashed into Finn, who was taken completely by surprise. Finn soared across the room and landed on the fragments of the door. Bubblegum screamed in horror, but was silenced as the Lich walked up to her side.

"Do you see now what you are up against?" he said, laughing as Finn rose to his feet. He simply snickered as Finn drew his automatic crossbow and fired several bolts straight for his blackened heart. With a waving motion he sent the bolts flying harmlessly into the wall behind the throne. With another sweep, he sent the hero flying backward, crashing against the door frame and cracking the stone surrounding it.

"I am the most powerful being Ooo has seen!" he said, forming a crystal axe. He threw it at the hero in a rather bored manner, as one would flick a booger from the tip of one's finger. The crystal axe sped through the air, finally coming to a stop when it impacted the sword. The axe shattered into a million pieces, but the force drove Finn to his knees. Several cuts graced his face, but still the human refused to give up.

He rose once more when a ball of energy impacted his legs, sweeping them out from under him and sending him tumbling forward onto the door pieces once more. "I am the Lich Emperor!" shouted the insane creature, tossing energy balls and crystal shards at an astonishing rate. Finn blocked every one he could, but several bounced him around the room enough to crack the stone walls. Still he did not give up, and after falling a third time, the Lich grew silent and leaned over the princess.

"Give up Finn," he said, forming a crystal dagger next to her throat. "Or else she dies."

"Finn, don't do as he says!" she shouted as Finn rose once again to his feet. Finn took one look at the eyes of the insane Lich Emperor and knew he couldn't do that. His bruised and battered body could take more punishment than the Lich had dealt, but Bubblegum was not trained as he was: she would die unless he did something. The plan was insane and positively suicidal, but he had no other choice.

"I surrender," he said, laying his sword on the ground. Raising his hands in defeat, he stood up straight with his head hung low. "I will give myself to you, if in exchange you let her go. She is of no use to you now." His shoulders seemed to sag, as if a great burden had been placed upon them.

The Lich withdrew his dagger from near Bubblegum's throat and smiled. "Well now, why the sudden change of tone? Has the hero finally come to realize he cannot stand against me?" He zapped the chains restraining Bubblegum, who quickly rushed to Finn.

"Why did you do that?" she asked, throwing her arms around his neck. "Why would you give yourself up for me? You were destined to save Ooo, not to help hasten it towards oblivion!"

Finn looked her straight in the eyes. "Because I had to, Bonnibel," he said, calling her by her first name. "It's because I love you. Everything will be all right: just trust me." He gently pushed her away and walked towards the Lich and kneeled at his feet, his face obscured by his hood.

"You will do as I command from now on," the Lich said, loosely holding his dagger. "Fail to do so, and I will torture and kill your precious 'beloved' in front of you. Understand?" Finn could only nod: there was no other way this could work. He could not fail her again: he could not let her die.

"This means that she cannot leave," the Lich said, his evil smile growing larger. Bubblegum gasped at this, but stopped when she heard a slight humming. It was coming from Finn's sword, the blade positively vibrating with energy.

"Furthermore, you will command your forces to disband," the Lich continued, not hearing the noise. Finn, from under his hood, was smiling. He accidentally let out a small chuckle, which the Lich heard.

"What are you laughing at?" he said, dropping his dagger and grabbing Finn by the head, forcing him to look the Lich in the face. Bubblegum saw Finn's sword leap from its resting place and fly through the air.

"Because," Finn said, feeling his sword's handle rest in his palm. With a lunging motion, he plunged the sword into the chest of the Lich. Standing up with the shocked Lich still impaled on his sword, Finn whispered: "I win." The Lich's dagger dropped from his hand as the sword surged heroic energies into him, corroding away the evil within. The light in its evil eyes began to go out and the black blood began seeping out, almost tar-like in nature.

Raising his other gauntlet-covered hand, he slammed it down on the hilt of his sword. Like a thunderstorm, it unleashed a bolt of lightning into the Lich, sending flying off the sword and into a wall, crashing through his throne in the process. When he impacted, the entire fortress shook, causing failures of the rock deep within the volcano. The wall was splattered with his tar blood, oozing towards the floor in great globs.

As Finn watched the body of the Lich began to crumble in on itself, he noticed a large crack where the monster had impacted the wall. Another ominous rumble from the mountain made it go wider and suddenly become bright. He was shocked when a small stream of magma started to flow out of it: he had penetrated into the very heart of the volcano. He turned to the shocked princess and sheathed his sword.

"Time to go," he said as he picked her up, throwing her arms around his neck as he ran out the door. More and more magma poured in behind him, quickly filling the room and burying the body of the Lich under hot molten rock. He ran through the corridors and rooms, feeling the heat of the lava closing in behind him. Rushing out the front door, he saw his army had already moved farther away from the fortress in pursuit of the fleeing defenders.

"Get back!" he shouted. "The volcano's heart has been breached!" He watched as his army started to move back. Judging from the distance, they would be fine. Within minutes, he had reached their lines and set Bubblegum down. Turning back, he saw the lava finally flow from every part of the fortress. Seconds later, a massive explosion spread from the throne room, destroying everything and sending forth a noise that sounded like a scream. A geyser of magma shot into the air, cooling on its way down and crashing back into the remains of the fortress. Within seconds, the great stone structure collapsed, leaving behind a pile of rubble and slowly-cooling molten stone.

"It's over," Finn said, wiping the sweat from his brow. He turned to look at Princess Bubblegum just as he saw a pink mass jumped on him. Startled, he fell backwards to the ground. Bubblegum was lying on top of him, smiling with tears in her eyes.

"Thank you Finn," she said. "Thank you for everything." With that, she leaned in and gave him a lasting kiss, all the while his troops celebrated and cheered. But he ignored them: he was with the one he loved, and nothing else could change that.

**A/N: SO SORRY FOR NOT MENTIONING THIS! This is NOT the final chapter, and wait until you see what I have in store... That is, if the people running the site will let me publish it... grrrrr stupid enforcement of rules...**


	12. Happy Days

**Chapter Eleven: Happy Days**

It had been two years since the fall of the Crystal Lemon King and, by extension, the Lich. Lands were freed from the weak influence of his peons and had returned once again to a more wholesome state. Peace had finally returned to Ooo, and in that alone there was much cause for celebration. The site of the battle for Ooo, where the freedoms of all had been paid for by the blood of many, had been christened an international memorial: the "Fields of the Fallen Free." There was a memorial plaque and a statue signifying the dead, including a long marble wall with the name of each deceased warrior carved in with an iron chisel. Many visited that wall in the years after the battle, running a finger or similar appendage down the list to find a relative, a friend, or a loved one who had given their life to preserve freedom for all of Ooo. Finn's own army returned to their sky fortresses and floated around Ooo as a migratory kingdom, with its lands being whatever floated with them. Technically they already had royalty, but their alliance with Finn and, by extension, the Candy Kingdom, made it clear they would follow Finn as their de-facto ruler. As a result, peace had been at an all-time high, with no conflicts whatsoever anywhere in all the land.

For Finn, however, he was now more stressed than he had ever been during the war: at least, that is what he felt like. "Am I ready?" he asked Jake, looking over his outfit for the tenth time. A long flowing robe with grand ceremonial armor providing protection against possible trouble: yep, he looked good indeed.

"Dude, relax," was his brother's reply, patting him on the shoulder. "You'll do fine." Of course, he could have been just saying that, but he truly meant it.

"I don't know man," Finn said, fiddling with his hair. He was glad he hadn't let it grow past his shoulders: it would have looked a bit undignified. "I just don't know. What if it's too soon? What if we're not ready?"

"Don't think like that, bro. You've had this in the bag for two years and there's no way anyone in their right mind would deny either of you this moment. Just get out there," Jake said, pushing Finn through the door. Outside, Finn noticed the large crowd had gathered around the seats; royalty and commoner alike from all across the lands. Several in the crowd waved to him; he waved back. Ice King and Billy were sitting there, along with his and Jake's family and Beemo. Lady Rainicorn was also sitting there, holding a toddler dogicorn in her arms. His lizard-like general sat near the back, representing with his queen and king their own kingdom.

"Okay," he muttered under his breath as he adjusted his ceremonial shoulder guards. "You can do this, you can do this." Repeating this mantra, he looked himself over one last time before taking that first step. Walking up the aisle, he stopped at a great and ancient podium, where an elderly candy corn was waiting for him. Finn recognized both from an old book Bubblegum had once shown him. The candy corn minister had presided over Bubblegum's mothers wedding and had been an attendant at her grandmother's. The podium itself was carved out of a very ancient and distant wood called "oak". He turned around and saw, accompanied by music, Princess Bubblegum walking up the aisle behind him, resplendent with her attendants and flower girls: no, literally, they were part flower. When she finally reached the podium, he heard the candy corn announce:

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum and Finn the Human, Lich Slayer and Hero of Ooo. It has been said..." Finn didn't listen to the rest: he was too focused on Bubblegum. She was absolutely stunning in her dress; he couldn't take his eyes off her. Her hair was done up in a way that made it both curly and separated into individual strands, something apparently very hard to accomplish. Her pink dress simply was radiant in the soft sunlight, and her veil did not exactly conceal the huge smile underneath.

As the candy corn minister turned to him, Finn almost didn't hear what he said next. "Finn, do you take Princess Bubblegum to be yours, to have and to hold," the candy corn said, continuing on and on. When he finished, Finn looked Bubblegum straight in the eyes and smiled. "Yes: most mathematically yes." When he said this, he could have sworn she shivered: probably something in his eye.

The minister looked to Bubblegum then, repeating the same thing. She smiled sweetly and nodded. "Yes; most definitely yes." The minister raised his arms.

"I now pronounce you man and wife." He turned to Finn. "You may now kiss the bride."

Finn leaned in and gently kissed Bubblegum, at least until she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him into a much deeper and more serious kiss. As they stood up there, everyone gathered cheered wildly. Billy handed Ice King a handkerchief as he started to sob with happiness. Jake tickled his son's chin with a stretch-formed hand as he and Lady clapped as well. Marceline stood amongst the bridesmaids, happy but a little jealous. After all, who wouldn't be a bit jealous at someone marrying the greatest hero in all of Ooo?

After a while Finn and Bubblegum broke apart and walked back down the aisle, all the while being showered with sugar by the guests. Bubblegum threw the bouquet into the air, only for Lumpy Space Princess to jump up and swallow it like the fatty she was: the other women descended on her and started to pummel her senseless. All of the other guests laughed at the spectacle, including the two newlyweds. They raced down the chapel's steps and ran up the road into the castle, preparing for the next phase of the day, for it was not over by a long shot.

Princess Bubblegum was so absolutely giddy with excitement she could have burst like a lactose-intolerant pig pelted with ice cream. Now, after all her years of admiration for Finn and the love it had become were finally combined with an actual marriage, the reality of the situation made her feel light-headed. Of course, the part she was most anxious about was the consummation of the marriage, but that would have to wait awhile. "_A marriage, especially a royal marriage that was unconsummated could be easily nullified,"_ she thought to herself. Luckily, the simplest solution would be the most enjoyable.

As they entered the "honeymoon suite" of the castle, Finn began to remove his ceremonial armor. "You can never be too careful," he thought as he changed into some good clothes that were not completely formal. A year before, at the marriage of another princess, a mad assassin had tried to do in Finn among the guests: he had been defeated rather quickly, but you never could tell.

He looked over at Bubblegum. "_My wife,_" he reminded himself, smiling at the thought. All those years of affection had truly been love; he just had been too young or naïve to understand. Now, two years after he had saved them all from the Lemon King and by extension the Lich, those feelings had only strengthened.

"Bubblegum?" he called, taking off his helmet and replacing it with his hooded wear. "What's next on the agenda?" That helmet had started to chafe in the heat, but luckily it was not heavy.

She looked up from removing her crown and went behind a screen to change. "Next is the grand feast and general merriment, which will last well into the evening. _As will other things,"_ she thought to herself. "Then is the official consummation ceremony and the gift giving, where we-" she stopped as she walked back out from behind the screen in her evening wear and saw the look on Finn's face.

"Official consummation ceremony?" he asked in a frightened tone. "As in, we consummate in public?"

She nodded her head. "Of course Finn; those are the rules for royalty. They may be old and awkward, but it will help ease the minds of everyone involved. Besides, marrying me makes you royalty, so we are doubly obligated to perform the ceremony. Don't worry; it is only viewed by the minister and members of the family."

Finn shook his head, putting on his evening shoes. "Well, it most certainly does not put my mind at ease." He sighed and looked up at her. "But if it makes you happy, then I'll gladly do it."

As he looked back down to tie his shoes, Bubblegum looked away so Finn wouldn't see the great big grin on her face. "_I hope you will,"_ she thought. "_I know I'll enjoy it."_

Later, in the grand banquet hall...

As Finn and Bubblegum walked into the hall holding hands, they were greeted by music and dancing, as well as by the delicious aromas of food. Marceline and Beemo were up on stage playing music, along with several other Ooo musicians. As they walked over to where Jake, his family and Lady's family were sitting, a snippet of their conversation filled Finn's ears.

"So when the ceremony begins, we each prepare them and send them into a room?" Jake asked Lady, unsure of what all this meant. She nodded, readjusting the bottle in their baby's mouth. Lady's mother fiddled with her fork.

"That's not all, Jake. We have to be there and make sure everything goes well." Jake's eye widened at these words.

"You mean... we have to watch?" he said, making a slight retching sound with his throat. "I don't know if I could see my best friend/brother consummate his marriage without getting sick." He looked up in time to see Finn and Bubblegum sit down at the table.

"Hey Finn," he said, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "How you been hanging?" Finn smiled at him and gave Bubblegum a peck on the cheek. "I'll be right back," he said, getting up and taking a walk with Jake over to the food line.

"It's been great Jake," he said, putting some spaghetti on his plate. He made sure to take enough for both him and Bubblegum: he knew how much she loved the stuff.

"So what are you gonna do about the ceremony?" Jake asked, picking up a cocktail weenie and eating it.

"I try not to think about it," Finn replied, eating one as well. "But worse comes to worst, I'll make my way through it. How do you feel about having to help me get ready?"

Jake shook his head, his ears drooping slightly. "It's not that I'm worried about. I'm just not sure what I'm going to do during it."

Finn smiled at his brother's discomfort. "Just close your eyes, plug your ears and pretend you're not there. You'll do just fine."

Jake smiled and nodded his head. "As will you, bro."

Back at the table, Bubblegum was talking with Jake's parents when the music stopped: it was time for a small break, as a candy jazz band struck up a slow song. Marceline set down her axe bass and walked off the stage, sitting down next to Bubblegum.

"Well Bonnibel, I have to say I knew this would happen," she said, draining the color from an apple.

"What do you mean?" Bubblegum asked. Marceline smiled at her; a genuine smile.

"I knew from almost day one that you and Finn were made for each other." She drained another apple. "You ready for tonight?"

Bubblegum almost spilled her drink, but smiled. "Yes I am." She leaned closer to Marceline and whispered in her ear. "I kind of know what to expect. Before I was kidnapped, I saw Finn in the shower."

Marceline raised her eyebrows, her cheeks reddening. "And?" she asked.

Bubblegum smiled. "Let's just say he wields a great sword, and I'm not talking about the one in his scabbard." Marceline turned a deeper shade of red, almost matching the apple she was holding.

Finn and Jake walked back to the table, Finn holding two plates. "Here you go," he said, putting Bubblegum's plate in front of her. With a thank you, she dug into her spaghetti while Finn turned to Marceline. "Hey Marceline," he said, taking a bite out of some spaghetti. "How are you doing?" Marceline sat there, unable to speak for a few seconds. Her mind was... somewhere else.

"I'm doing good Finn," she finally managed to say. "Congratulations on your wedding." Finn didn't seem to notice the look she was giving him: a combination of playful jealousy and longing. Well, if he would have even noticed he would have seen her eyes roaming up and down his body like he was a choice piece of meat. "I have to go: I'm needed on stage," she said suddenly, getting up and almost sprinting back on stage. Finn watched her go, slightly confused: why was she acting like that?

"Bonnibel," he began, looking at his bride. "What's with Marceline?" Bubblegum almost choked on a bit of spaghetti. Clearing her throat after swallowing, she smiled mysteriously.

"Oh, I told her some things: girl things," she said, suppressing the urge to giggle. She had no intention of telling him, so maybe saying something he'd later forget would steer the conversation in a different direction. "I'll tell you about it later."

"Okay," said Finn, sitting down. Just as he and Bubblegum finished eating their meal, they got up and went to the main dance floor, the other guests making way for the now royal couple. Marceline finished her normal music a few minutes later and spoke into the microphone.

"All right folks, this goes out to our lucky couple, based on an old CD Jake and I found while exploring a cave. It's called; '_Can't Smile Without You'_. We hope you enjoy it," she finished, hooking Beemo up to several loudspeakers and putting the CD in him. After a few seconds, a slow song began to play from the loudspeakers, the lyrics pulling at the heartstrings of everyone gathered there.

As the music played, Finn and Bubblegum were the only ones on the dance floor, deeply looking into each other's eyes. The lights shimmering overhead gave the room a soft and ambient glow, almost giving the room an ethereal feel. As they slowly danced, Finn leaned down and whispered into Bubblegum's ear: "I love you, princess. I always have."

Bubblegum looked up at her gorgeous husband, finding herself nearly gawking at his ruggedly handsome face. She would be with him for the rest of their lives and she would likely never get over just how fetching he was. "I love you too, Finn," she said, leaning her head against his chest and closing her eyes, feeling the beating of his heart underneath his clothes. "I have always loved you, even when I was too blind to see it."

Finn rested his face in her hair; oh how he loved the smell of her sweet bubblegum hair. "I will do my best to make you happy for the rest of our days," he said, envisioning a long life ahead of them. "It is this oath I swear to you: to be your protector for as long as I draw breathe, to kiss away your tears when you cry. If there comes along a storm in our life, you have the promise of my love to keep you warm." He could see her and him grow old together and live out the rest of their days in the castle, being visited by friends, their children and maybe even their grandchildren. They would be inseparable, two halves of a whole: soul-mates for all time. When the day finally did come when they would pass on from this world, he knew they would wait for the other for as long as it took: then, together, they would journey past the realm of death and into the great beyond.

Unbeknownst to Finn, Bubblegum was thinking along the lines of the exact same thing. However, her thoughts had taken her in the opposite path, right back before the part with children. All she could think about was that night, and every night after that. She had waited a very long time for that special night. She hadn't given it any thought when he was younger, but after he rescued her from the volcano fortress she had been conflicted as to be with him outside of a marriage. Luckily his decision of courting her had given her enough patience to wait two more years: two long, busy years in which to wait.

When the music stopped hours later and everyone started to leave for the night, the official consummation ceremony would begin. Finn and Bubblegum, although they didn't tell anyone, had a feeling everything would be fine.

**A/N: Well, this is just something to tide you folks over until the final chapter next week, and I promise it will be a doozy. Give a little hint here, a little juicy preview there... I **_**am**_** rather devious, aren't I? I just hope the admins don't take it down for the content...**

**A/N2: Nearly eight thousand hits already? You are all amazing viewers!**


	13. Preparations and Fulfillment

**Chapter Twelve: Preparations and Fulfillment**

**A/N: This once-again long chapter contains a well-thought out and prepared lemon, so if you're not into that stuff, please skip the scene and start at the next part. This is my first lemon, so please understand my acceptance if you don't want to read it. Also, over 9,000 hits? Wow.**

It was evening as the grand ballroom emptied of its occupants. Soon enough the majority of the guests had gone home, save for Marceline, Jake's family and the newlywed couple. When the pair reached the master bedroom, Finn and Bubblegum were put into separate rooms and given a chance to prepare, as was custom. Jake helped Finn out of his formal evening wear and into his ceremonial garb, politely ignoring the old faded scars across Finn's body: they were barely there anyway. "Dude, is this supposed to fit me like this?" Finn asked, glancing down at the pants. They were awfully tight in places he didn't want them to be tight: in fact, they seemed counterproductive to the task he was about to undertake.

"Relax bro," Jake reassured, putting his other clothes away. "This is so that you can't wait to get them off, if you know what I mean," he said with a wink. Finn felt his face redden slightly. Sure, this was expected of him and he was sure he would enjoy it. He was still a bit creeped out by all the rules.

As they were finishing up Jake's father-in-law rushed in the room and whispered something in Jake's ear. Jake slowly nodded, a small smile spreading across his face. "What is it?" Finn asked, not sure what was going on. Was there another uncomfortable rule he had to follow?

"It would seem there has been a change of plans," the rainicorn explained. "You will not have to perform the consummation in front of us: we are only to prepare you and leave you to yourselves."

"Why the sudden change?" Finn asked. Its not that he really cared, but it seemed a bit sudden.

"It has something to do with you technically not being candy royalty, which excludes you from the rule," Jake said. "Also there's some things about it can only be performed by a male heir or royal, and something about changing times: you know, stuff like that."

Finn sighed in relief, his mind at ease. "So what happens now?" he asked.

Jake opened the door and gestured to the stairs at the end of the hall. "It's time to go solidify your marriage, bro," he said. As Finn followed him out of the prep room, he could only wonder how his wife was doing.

Meanwhile, in Princess Bubblegum's quarters...

Bonnibel Bubblegum, princess of the Candy Kingdom could honestly say she was anxious. Not about the upcoming ceremony: no, all of the advice and preparations from the ladies had put her on edge. She would go through with this her way, no matter how they dressed her or told her how to do something. She was one of the smartest people in Ooo, for crying out loud! She had no doubt she could pull through with grace and dignity.

Marceline was picking out her chemise while Lady Rainicorn was brushing her hair. "How about this one, Bonnibel?" Marceline asked, holding up another of Bubblegum's pink chemises. Bubblegum shook her head: it showed too much and left too little the imagination. Besides, she had so many like that one, and many more than were too modest: the one for this night one had to be special. Marceline sighed and put it back, scrounging for another one in the closet: the smell of mothballs and candy permeated the small room.

"I wonder what Finn's doing," she thought. "I hope the change in plans didn't frazzle him any more than he already is." The vampire queen looked this way and that while thinking of Finn in ways she hadn't: ways that she best keep to herself. Tripping over a pair of shoes, she looked up from her fall and saw it.

As Lady finished with her hair, Bubblegum saw Marceline come out with the perfect choice: her royal chemise designed to keep her warm during cold nights. Lined with the finest candy fur possible, the outside was softer than candy silk and twice as expensive. The lace trimming was candy wool from the candy sheep to the north: it was incredibly durable, but breathed easy. "How's this one?" Marceline asked.

"That's perfect," Bubblegum said, standing up and taking it from Marceline's hands. Slipping it on, she quickly covered it with her royal gown, which just barely rested above her ankles. "Well," she said, twirling around before Lady and Marceline's eyes. "How do I look?"

Marceline spoke up first. "Like a woman about to celebrate the best night of her life," she said, giving her a wink. Lady agreed, saying the chemise and gown really 'put her in a good light'. Giving them each a hug and thanking them for their support, Bubblegum nearly ran over Lady's mother outside when she made her way up to the master bedroom. Walking in, she made sure all the decorations had been properly placed. After her final inspection, she dressed in a more formal nightgown and laid down on the bed, waiting for Finn to arrive. She could barely contain her excitement; this would be good.

Meanwhile, on his way up to the bedroom...

Finn could honestly say he was nervous. Not terribly nervous, but still he felt a bit hot under the collar. Here he was, about to consummate his marriage to the most beautiful and loving person he knew, and he felt weak. Upon reaching the door, he steeled himself for what was going to happen. Hopefully he wouldn't mess up too bad. He knocked on the door, his knuckles rapping on the wooden surface.

"Come in," he heard her call, her beautiful voice sending goose bumps up and down his arms. Opening the door, he stepped inside and was completely awestruck by what he saw. He ignored the closing door behind him.

Bubblegum was lying on the bed, facing Finn. Her body was draped across it, her beautiful dress covering up everything. Candles were burning all around on furniture, and Finn swore he could smell sugar-laced smoke. He approached the bed, not sure what to do; many of the books had told him what to do in a bit, but not nearly enough had said anything leading up to _that_.

Bubblegum sat up on the edge of the bed, her feet dangling off the side. "Please, stand up," he said. When she did so, he put both hands on either side of her head and leaned down. Kissing her, he closed his eyes at the feeling of her soft, sugary lips. Their tongues darted in and out of each other's mouths, seeking not dominance over the others', but assurance and love. When he opened his eyes, he saw Bubblegum had closed hers and had a look of extreme pleasure all across her face. With one hand he gently removed her crown from her head and set it down upon the nightstand.

Reaching his hands down, Finn pulled at the lace string holding her dress together. As it came undone from around her neck, she shuddered slightly as his fingers grazed her flesh. Placing his hands on her shoulders, he gently pushed the garment off her, causing to pool at her feet. He looked down at her in awe. The years had been good to her: her body was so much more filled out than before, and in all the right places as well.

Taking a step back and ignoring the soft moan of sadness at his sudden distance, Finn slowly undid the buttons on his shirt and shrugged it off, his skin becoming exposed to the world. His pants were the next thing to go, preceded by his shoes and socks: only his boxers remained.

Bubblegum opened her eyes to marvel at her husband. Years of fighting and training had honed his body into, well, a wall of muscle. Everything was perfectly outlined, bulging with power: it was like each part was chiseled out of marble. Her eyes went down to his undershorts and her knees nearly buckled beneath her. She had been wrong: he was bigger than she had seen. A massive blush covered her face, turning it bright red.

Finn gingerly pushed Bubblegum back onto the bed and sat down next to her. His hands were soft, surprisingly so for someone so used to combat. "_Thank goodness those books I read taught me more than fighting_," he thought.

**(Lemon Scene Starts Here)**

Leaning in, Finn kissed Bubblegum again, deeper and more meaningful than before. It held within it the promise of things to come. Leaving her lips, he kissed all along her neck, his hands threaded into hers. Kissing her throat, he let his tongue snake out to lick her throat, interrupting that with a few nips at her tender skin.

"Oh Finn," she sighed. He again made his way down her throat, lightly kissing and licking it the entire way. Upon reaching the frill of her chemise, he removed his hands from hers and placed them on her shoulders. Lightly exerting pressure downwards, he slowly made the chemise leave her body and pool at her waist. He started kissing her throat again, ever-so-slowly making his way lower. Upon reaching the swell of her magnificent breasts, he raised his hands to them. Cupping them, he flicked the rosy nipples with his thumbs, earning a gasp from Bubblegum. Her large globes started to prickle up, with goose bumps forming all over her sensitive skin.

"_Where did he learn to do that?"_ she wondered in amazement. Her thoughts were drowned out by his next actions. Softly kneading her breasts, Finn bent down and took a nipple into his mouth, lightly sucking on it. Bubblegum could only raise her hands to his head and hold him there, encouraging his administrations. He soon made his way over to the other nipple and gave it some attention. He began to suck harder, earning another moan from his princess wife. He switched back and forth, each time exerting greater pressure on those sensitive buds.

When he stopped, Bubblegum let out a sigh of disappointment that was cut off when his lips recaptured hers. Laying her down with him still above her, he slowly removed the rest of her chemise with one hand while stroking her sweet-smelling hair with the other. He dropped her garment on the floor and removed his shorts with his other free hand.

Bubblegum felt a duty to take some initiative and reached down with one of her hands. She firmly grasped him in the most sensitive of places, earning a delightful groan from him. Slowly, ever so slowly, she ran her hand up and down him, increasing the pace at an oh-so slow rate. Finn broke away from their kiss and laid himself down on the bed, almost unable to move from the feelings she was causing.

Sitting up, she brought her other hand to bear as she examined the fine specimen before her. Stroking his ever-growing shaft, she cradled his balls with the other hand. He was nearly thirteen inches in length, and her hand could barely wrap all the way around the base. "I had no idea they could be so large," she thought. She pressed both hands back on his manhood and began to stroke him faster, earning more groans from Finn. He had not expected this to happen, but he sure wasn't complaining. Her next act nearly made him cry out in pleasure.

Leaning in, she gave his shaft a light peck on the tip and breathed in deep, absorbing the scent through her nostrils. She began to nuzzle him all the way up and down, breathing deeply the entire time. Upon reaching the top once more, she opened her mouth slightly and stuck out her tongue. Giving him a slight lick at the top, she proceeded to lick up and down his shaft, pausing now and then to kiss the top. She gently lathered his balls, amazed at the texture and even more amazed that he shaved down there.

Then, to Finn's amazement, she opened her mouth wider and began to lightly suck on him. In her mind, she knew she couldn't possibly take in all of him: he was simply too big. Still, she began to lightly bob her head up and down, reveling in the texture of his skin. He could feel the warmth of her mouth envelope him further every few bobs, causing his vision to go hazy with pleasure. The back of her throat would come into contact every few seconds, her moaning causing it to vibrate. She began to pick up the pace, having never done this before but had learned about it from her own secret stash of books.

Soon, her head was bobbing at a ferocious speed, causing the bed to wiggle slightly. Finn couldn't believe it: his lifelong fantasy was coming true.

Removing him from her mouth, she cut off his groan when she placed his shaft directly between her glorious bosoms and squeezed. Finn tilted his head back and gasped for air: it was so soft.

She gently began to rub herself up and down his erection, earning more groans and grunts from Finn. He thrust forward slightly, his balls giving a slapping noise to her ministrations. She smiled and lowered her head again, licking the top of his shaft every time it poked out of her breasts. She simply couldn't get enough of his taste. She took the tip of him into her mouth again while she thrust up and down, never letting him slip out.

Finn couldn't stand it anymore: if he didn't do something soon, he was going to burst. Reaching down, he gently but firmly removed Bubblegum from her position and brought her back under him. As he sucked on one firm nipple and kneaded her other with one hand, his other hand made its way further south.

His fingers delicately graced her nether regions, causing Bubblegum to moan and arch in surprise. He lightly traced his fingers inside her folds, causing her to squirm beneath him. The pressure was building to an immense peak: if she didn't find some solace soon, she would pass out from the pleasure attacking her brain. Yet even as she thought this, he continued for what seemed hours, even though it was only a few minutes. Her hyper-sensitized flesh was ready to rebel against her self-control: she couldn't take it anymore. She needed him inside her now, lest she completely lose control, turn on him and force herself onto his incredible body.

"Please, Finn," she begged, feeling her body struggling against her will. "I need you now, in the worst way possible. Please, make me yours forever."

Finn gladly obliged to her request. Removing his hand, he grasped himself and guided his aching shaft to the tip of her womanhood. This was it: there was no turning back, but then again, why would he deny her the ultimate request? The loss of both her virginity and his, with each other, on their wedding night: it was something he had dreamed about for years.

"Ready?" he said, not wanting to hurt her. Judging from the glistening shape beneath him, her body was more than willing: it had been preparing itself the entire time. She nearly screamed her answer, her impatience getting the better of her.

"DO IT! DO IT NOW YOU BEAUTIFUL BAST-"

He gently but quickly pushed himself into her, cutting off her shout and earning a grunt from her in response. The pain she felt was immediately replaced by something new, something wonderful. She felt whole and complete, a true woman and a happy newlywed at that.

He lightly began thrusting, causing her to arch her back in pleasure. The softness of his skin and the feeling of his magnificent manhood, combined with his administrations to her sensitive breasts were driving her insane. She never wanted it to end: this was simply the best night of her life.

After a few minutes of gentle thrusting, she begged him to pick up the pace. He obliged, pumping into her harder and quicker than before. There was no doubt: her mind was going fuzzy from the pleasure. All of her scientific knowledge, all of her education, every single royal duty and manner of etiquette: it was being drowned out the by the exquisite torture he was inflicting upon her body. All she could feel was his glorious manhood penetrating into her very being, the fluids of their love-making leaking out onto the sheets like a fountain. She wrapped her arms around his back, holding him close to her head as she whispered incoherent messages of love. Her legs wrapped around his waistline as she urged him to go faster, to go harder, to go deeper. She felt his firm waistline repeatedly slam into her, creating delightful friction when they met. She felt with her feet the muscles in his lower back strain and bulge with the ferocity of their love-making.

Finn was sweating and felt close, but not too much: this was by far the most exhausting, and most enjoyable, thing he had ever done, and he would not let it end so early. He picked up the pace, feeling himself jump high into her, all the while the bed shook with extreme ferocity. He pulled himself all the way out, only to slam back into her, earning a shriek of pleasure from his beautiful bride. His hands roughly handled her breasts, the pleasure causing her to throw her arms out to the side and grab onto her pillows. He felt the need to kick it up another notch.

He placed his hands palm-side down next to her shoulders and began to thrust even harder. The bed was swaying greater than before, the sounds of squeaks, grunts and moans the only other sound than that of flesh colliding with flesh. He continued to hammer into her, never stopping, unrelenting in his love-making. Every occasional thrust would nearly penetrate into her very womb, causing her back to spasm in pleasure. Her magnificent breasts were bouncing unrestrained in front of his face, which only made him give those sensitive nubs a lick here and there. He lightly bit down on one, causing Bubblegum to nearly throw him off with her bucking. Still, he continued as she drew closer to fruition, his muscles straining with the amount of power he was letting loose into her.

"I'm close Finn, oh so close," she moaned as her hips began to buck some more under his. The sheets were absolutely soaked with both sweat and bodily fluids being expunged by Bubblegum's tender womanhood. As Finn drew out again, he was half-way back inside her when she pushed him in further with her legs, causing him to sink in up to the hilt. She screamed in delight as she came to completion, the coursing pleasure finally overwhelming her mind. Her screaming reverberated throughout her body, causing Finn to lose himself in her. With a grunt, he released himself into her, pouring out his love, lust and happiness into her tender womb. To her, he just kept on filling her up until a small spurt squeezed out of her, as if he had filled her up like a water balloon.

As the sexual haze faded and exhaustion began to overtake them, Bubblegum fell asleep in Finn's arms, entirely content. Finn lay next to her and closed his eyes, the biggest smile ever lighting up his face. He soon drifted off to sleep, holding his beloved as if she were his greatest treasure in the entire world.

He knew she was.

**(Lemon Scene Ends Here)**

Finn awoke early the next morning, feeling better than he ever had before. Nothing, absolutely _nothing_ had ever felt like last night. He glanced down at Bubblegum, still asleep and with a content smile upon her face. He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead, savoring the sweet aroma of her sweat-dried hair. Grabbing a towel, he made his way to the bathroom to take a shower. Within minutes, the water running and he was washing his hair, the cool fluid rinsing the dried sweat from his body.

He didn't hear Bubblegum walk in.

"Good morning, my hero," she said, stepping into the shower with him. Her soft hands trailed down his sides until she found what she was looking for.

"Looks like _someone's_ ready to go," she said, turning Finn around and kissing him. Finn wrapped one hand around her shoulder while his other hand grasped one of her butt cheeks. He gave her a slight squeeze, earning a throaty moan from his wife.

"Princess?" a voice called from the door to the bedroom. Bubblegum and Finn, startled by the voice, turned around in the shower. "Yes?" she called.

"You and your husband are needed for some signatures on a document," he voice said: it sounded like Peppermint Butler.

"We'll be out in a bit," Finn called, nuzzling Bubblegum on the neck. She giggled and whispered: "Ready to make it quick?"

Finn leaned in and kissed her: "You bet."

**(A/N2: Write your own damn lemon scene here, I can't do two like that in one chapter *wink.)**

They didn't emerge from the room for another twenty minutes, both looking absolutely chipper. Finn couldn't help but grin: who knew taking a shower could be so fun and rewarding?

One month later...

Finn was practicing with his sword in the royal armory. He'd never stopped, but he hadn't used it in a while and felt the need to train. He was still waiting for Bubblegum to return. She had said she needed to get a few things for their room.

Swinging his sword in an upward thrust, Finn heard the door open. Turning around, he saw his wife had returned. Returning his sword to his scabbard, he went and gave her a hug and kiss.

"Finn," she said, sitting down on a bench. "I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" he asked, sitting next to her and holding her hands. What did she need to tell him?

"Finn, when I went down to the town, I felt weird; sickly, almost. So I went to the doctor." She brushed some hair out her face.

"And what?" Finn asked, hoping she was all right. She just smiled at him, her face a beacon of love.

"Finn, you're going to be a father." Finn stared at her in silence his mouth slightly agape: a father?

"You mean...you're pregnant?" he asked, almost too stunned for words. She nodded, and his face split in an ear-to-ear grin.

Leaning closer, he gave her a tremendously joyful hug and kiss. "When are you due?" he asked.

"In about eight months, give or take a week," she said. Though she didn't know it for sure, she hoped their child had been conceived on their wedding night. Of course, it could have been the couple dozen or so times in-between then and when she found out. They had been going at it on almost a daily basis: sometimes when nobody was around and other times when people were on the other side of a door.

"What will we name him?" he asked.

"You mean her," Bubblegum said, smirking slightly. "It could be a girl, you know."

"Well, I've always wanted a girl named Eleanor," Finn said, softly rubbing his hand on her belly. "Then again, if it's a boy, what do you want the name to be?"

"I was thinking along the lines of William," she said, giving him a kiss. "We'll just have to wait and see."

"Yes," he said, embracing her once more. "Yes we will."

**The End**

**A/N3: Well, this is it: the true end of the story. I must say it was fun writing this and a pleasure reading all the positive feedback from so many of you. I know the Finn/Bubblegum fandom is dying a bit, but I wrote this way before Flame Princess was even introduced. I still think Finn will get with Bubblegum: nearly three or more full seasons of hinting and subtle exchanges can't be all for naught, right?**

**So long, and thanks for all the reviews!**


End file.
